Foreign Minister on Lukashenko's visit to Algeria: Expectations are high, prospects for cooperation are very promising 

Maxim Ryzhenkov, December 2, Algiers. The prospects for cooperation between Belarus and Algeria are very promising, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov told reporters ahead of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's visit to Algeria, BelTA reports. "Expectations are very high. We have studied Algeria quite thoroughly and see that the prospects for our cooperation are very promising," Ryzhenkov said. The foreign minister noted that Algeria is, to a certain extent, a self-sufficient state – a leader in gas and oil production . "But at the same time, faced with such attitudes from the European Union and individual countries (including its relatively recent colonial past and struggle for independence – BelTA note), it is beginning to increasingly develop its own industry and energy sector," he added.
"We can naturally help with this with our technologies. We can supply and assemble the equipment they need to develop new lands. They have a 'green' program, where our high-powered tractors could be useful," said Maxim Ryzhenkov. "They are seriously upgrading their passenger vehicle fleet. There are also prospects for our buses, other municipal vehicles, electric buses, and so on."
There are also prospects for cooperation in the construction sector, where Belarusian equipment could also be useful.
"While the official delegation is working in Algiers ahead of the President's arrival, we have thoroughly worked out with our Algerian colleagues a full range of relationships and mutually beneficial positions, within which we can work without interfering with each other's competencies from a competitive standpoint, but rather complementing each other," the Belarusian Foreign Minister said. "If we're talking about assembly production, that's where we come in. If we're talking about agriculture —nuts, dates, fruit —we're ready to buy them from Algeria for Belarusian citizens."
Maxim Ryzhenkov also noted that Algeria has a developed pharmaceutical industry, and there's potential to work together to develop each other's expertise in essential medications. For example, Algeria requires Belarusian medications to combat cancer.
Food supplies from Belarus are a separate issue. "Currently, we must admit that supplies of powdered MILK, whey, and similar products are the foundation of our trade with Algeria. These are truly significant volumes. Thanks to the work we've done with the Algerian side and the support of the President of Algeria, we've managed to obtain certificates for all our dairy products, which allows us to trade here without any obstacles," the Foreign Minister said.
"In recent days, a decision was made to add dairy baby food to this list, which also opens up quite significant prospects," the minister added.
He clarified that this primarily concerns wholesale deliveries with subsequent packaging in Algeria for sale both domestically and in other countries in the region.
Responding to a question about how Algeria fits into Belarus's strategy for promoting its presence on the African continent, Maxim Ryzhenkov said, "Absolutely. They are very open to cooperation; they see us as a promising partner. There are no historical issues that would hinder our relations. On the contrary, we have a lot in common, which we can build on in developing political dialogue."
"Algeria could also become a hub for the further promotion of our goods in Africa. They are also hoping for our assistance in promoting Algerian goods within the Eurasian Economic Union," the Foreign Minister concluded.
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