Question: Being the first consumer of the Russian arms, Algeria signed in 2006 the contract worth 7,5 bln. dollars on delivery of different types of arms. However, economic relations in the civil sphere did not reach similar level. The share of the Russian investors in Algeria remains insignificant. How you can comment on this circumstance?
S. V. Lavrov: the Sphere of military and technical cooperation remains to strong "engine" of cooperation between our countries. Work on this direction is conducted within the Mixed Russian-Algerian intergovernmental commission on VTS.
But also in that, as for trade and economic relations as a whole, Algeria traditionally occupies one of leading places among partners of Russia in Africa and the Arab world. For more than half a century of fruitful interaction was succeeded to achieve powerful results in such areas, as power, mining and metallurgical industry, mechanical engineering, a water management. Among the most bright examples – created in Algeria with our assistance a metallurgical complex in El-Jadzhare, the metallurgical enterprise in Annaba, thermal power plant in Zhizhel, the gas pipeline Alrar-Tinfuye-Hassi Messaud, a dam of "Beni-Zid".
Today indicators of bilateral trade look not bad – the volume of commodity turnover grew last year by 2,2 times, having made nearly 2 bln. dollars
Important, and in it we are uniform with the Algerian partners, – not to stop on reached, to conduct continuous search of the new perspective directions of the appendix of joint efforts. Necessary opportunities for this purpose are available, including well debugged mechanism of bilateral business partnership – the Mixed intergovernmental Russian-Algerian commission on trade and economic and scientific and technical cooperation. Its eighth meeting, which terms are now coordinated, has to take place in Algeria. Reliable basis for deepening of communications is the Declaration on the strategic partnership, signed in 2001 during visit to Moscow President of Algeria A. Bouteflika.
there are quite good practices in areas of industrial and civil engineering, an irrigation, transport infrastructure, in the sphere of high technologies.
We carry the agriculture sphere to number of perspective areas of development of the Russian-Algerian business partnership. Quite good possibilities of increase in volumes of export of the Algerian agricultural production to Russia, including in a context of the known reciprocal steps entered by our country concerning EU and Turkey states open.
the Important contribution to the general work is made by a business community of two countries. Positively we estimate results of a recent trip to Moscow of representative group of the Algerian businessmen headed by the chairman of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Algeria M. Benamor. Within visit the bilateral economic forum in which some hundred Algerian and Russian businessmen participated went over with success.
Would like to note also activity of the Russian-Arab business council and the Russian-Algerian business council under the auspices of which regular exhibitions of the Russian goods and services will be organized.
So we look forward with optimism.
Question : During the visit to Moscow in 2001 presidents A. Bouteflika and V. Putin supported long-term cooperation in power area. For the purpose of preparation for "the post-oil period" A. Bouteflika recognized need of construction of the nuclear power plant which as it was supposed, has to be started till 2018. We could learn about level of the Russian-Algerian interaction in power area?
S. V. Lavrov: As I already noted strong, cooperation in the power sphere – an important component of our bilateral trade and economic relations. For a number of years in Algeria in interaction the leading Russian companies successfully work with the Algerian state oil and gas corporation "Sonatrak" – "Gazprom", "Rosneft", "Stroytransgaz", "Tekhnopromexport". Interest to an exit to the Algerian market is shown also by other large companies from Russia. We highly appreciate coordination with the Algerian colleagues within the Forum of the export countries of gas.
In September, 2014 in Algeria the bilateral intergovernmental Cooperation agreement in area of use of atomic energy in the peace purposes was signed. Within its realization
in Algeria planned on March 1-3 meeting of bilateral committee on coordination in the field of use of nuclear energy in the peace purposes. During this meeting it is planned to discuss possibilities of a construction in the territory of ANDR of nuclear power plant of the Russian design, development of nuclear infrastructure of Algeria, and also not power application of nuclear technologies – for example, in medicine.
Question: Russia, also as well as Algeria, counteracts Islamic terrorism, especially a radicalization phenomenon through social networks. Whether there are special mechanisms of interaction between two countries for fight against this global phenomenon?
S. V. Lavrov: the Terrorism is a global threat which moved forward today in the category of a key priority in the field of ensuring the international security. As the President of Russia V. V. Putin in performance at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, IGIL noted and to it similar extremists the bloody crimes profane the greatest world religion Islam, pervert its true values.
a Series of bloody acts of terrorism not only became demonstration of barbarous essence of ideology and practice so-called "The Islamic state", but also demonstrated that in the modern interdependent world the desire to create separate "safety oases", to be fenced off from the neighboring uneasy regions is impracticable.
Effectively it is possible to resist to terrorism only together, on strong fundamentals of international law, at the central coordinating role of the UN, without "double standards". Today it is necessary to put aside ambitions and disagreements and without any coordinations and preliminary conditions to unite for the sake of defeat of IGIL and the other extremist groups which have thrown down a challenge of a human civilization. In it is the main sense of an initiative of V. V. Putin on formation of the wide anti-terrorist front. Certainly, civil society has to be connected to complex and comprehensive efforts vigorously.
Our states firsthand knowing about terrorist aggression, saved up a wide experience of work on this direction. Positively we estimate cooperation in these questions, adjusted between profile departments of Russia and Algeria. In particular, under the auspices of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs the bilateral interdepartmental Working group on fight against terrorism and organized crime which fifth meeting took place in Algeria in February, 2013 functions. Are aimed at further development of interaction in this sphere. It is convinced that our joint work with the Algerian partners on an anti-terrorist track is urged to make a useful contribution to common efforts of the world community.
Question: Slowly but surely the idea of creation of gas cartel grows. How you see "gas OPEC"? That do you think what this initiative causes fears in many countries, considering, what Algeria and Russia provide 40% of needs of Europe in gas?
S. V. Lavrov: the participating States of FSEG have approximately
in 60 percent of the proved universal stocks of natural gas and have unique opportunity to make net and safe energy in the volumes necessary for satisfaction of growing energy needs around the world. Thus, on the potential in the field of production and export of the FSEG natural gas it is quite comparable to OPEC resources in the oil sphere.
At the same time the countries participating in activity of the Forum, including Russia and Algeria, do not set the task to turn FSEG in "gas OPEC". Membership in the Forum does not assume obligations for outputs and gas sale, therefore it cannot be identified with OPEC, so – fears of the countries consumers of that FSEG will dictate the rules in the gas market, are groundless.
Interaction and coordination between the participating countries of FSEG is carried out by exchange of information about gas branch and the best practices, and also through joint steps for the purpose of encouragement of use of natural gas. Our countries see the Forum role in promoting open and constructive dialogue with importers of natural gas within the international and regional power organizations and forums, including concerning demand for natural gas and development of necessary cross-border gas infrastructure. It is a question of equitable distribution of risks between suppliers and consumers of natural gas due to realization of predictable and non-discriminatory tax, trade, power and ecological policy according to a national legal and political framework.
It is convinced that at the Forum, despite a difficult economic environment, – good prospects. It was confirmed, in particular, passed in Tehran in November, 2015 by the 3rd summit of FSEG in which work the President V. V. Putin and the Prime minister of Algeria A.Sellyal participated. During this meeting were underlined a community of views of development of gas branch against the new calls connected with instability in the world energy market, importance of wide use of natural gas. In the total Declaration of the summit provisions, as the sovereignty of member states of FSEG over their natural resources, a fundamental role of long-term contracts for delivery of gas in financing of large-scale gas projects are recorded such key both for Russia, and for Algeria. We count that results of the summit will promote a sustainable development of the world gas market.