Algeria commemorates national day Namibia and Algeria intend to broaden and strengthen cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, industry, agriculture, education, sport and culture. The Algerian ambassador to Namibia, Sid-Ali Abdelbari, said last Friday during the commemoration of that country''s 62nd anniversary of the launch of its liberation struggle in 1954, that all these issues will be thoroughly discussed this week during bi-lateral meetings.
The two countries solidified their relationship with the opening of a Namibian embassy in that country earlier this year and the deployment of Namibia''s first ambassador, Panduleni Shigenge. It was followed by a visit by the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramtane Lamamra, to Namibia in June this year. Abdelbari said Algeria will host from 3 to 5 December, the African Investments and Business Forum that aims at gathering a wide range of African business stakeholders, including representatives of the continent''s governments, regional and international organisations to discuss key items relating to the economic development of the continent. He said Algeria needs to make economic reforms to diversify its economy and end its over-reliance on oil. Abdelbari said Algerian authorities are making tremendous efforts to preserve that country''s stability in a very difficult regional environment due to the insecure situation in North Africa and the Sahel.
He said Algeria is also making serious efforts to stabilise the neighbouring countries such as Mali and Libya by helping them in their efforts to regain peace, security and stability through dialogue and negotiations. The struggle for Algerian independence from France was epic though the country experienced serious economic and social challenges post-independence.
These were addressed by a series of ambitious development plans to improve the living conditions of the population through free education at all levels, free healthcare services and affordable housing for all.
At independence, Algeria had one university. Today it has 48 universities, one in each region, and one million students. Algeria gives 15 to 20 scholarships to Namibian students each year.
CATHERINE SASMAN