New British Ambassador to Algiers: “British companies are keen to invest in Algeria”
The new British Ambassador in Algeria, His Excellency Martyn Roper, said during a press conference held Wednesday at the British diplomatic representation in Algiers that British enterprises are eager to invest more in Algeria.
- He said that he would strive to promote and diversify the links of cooperation and trade exchanges between Algeria and the United Kingdom for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
- He asserted that there would be more flexibility in the granting of visas to Algerian nationals stressing that 15 000 visas of entry to the UK were granted to Algerians in the course of 2010.
- “There is no special regime for the granting of visas to Algerian nationals”, he said.
- The British diplomat further announced that the Duke of York Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth, was slated to pay a visit to Algeria next month as well as that of a British business delegation on January 23rd 2011.
- This delegation will be made up of 35 business managers who will explore with their Algerian counterparts the prospects for an enhanced bilateral cooperation in several fields of endeavour, he said.
- In a separate file, Martyn Roper indicated that the British government backed the decision by the Algerian authorities not to pay ransom to criminals and terrorists alluding to the capture two weeks ago off Oman’s coast of 17 Algerian sailors by Somali pirates on board an Algerian-flagged cargo ship “MV Blida”.
- He also reiterated his country’s opposition to any foreign military interference in the Sahel region.