Algeria: US seeks greater business presence, says Blinken

The United States is aiming for $6.1 billion worth of trade with Algeria, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced yesterday, through a “greater presence for American businesses” in the North African country.

America’s economic relations with Algeria are “dynamic”, Blinken told reporters in the US Embassy in Algiers. “In 2020, the two-way trade between the US and Algeria totalled $1.2 billion. In 2021, even with Covid, it more than doubled to $2.6 billion. And in just the month of January this year alone, it amounted to $331 million.”

The top US diplomat pointed out that he was meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to discuss bilateral relations across a range of sectors, including renewable energy and technology.

According to Algeria’s Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, he had a “fruitful meeting” with Blinken. “We discussed promising opportunities to strengthen our bilateral partnership while advancing our commitment to promote peace and stability at the regional and international levels, in line with our shared values and interests,” he wrote on Twitter.

An earlier statement from Washington confirmed that Algeria’s “commitments to regional security and prosperity” were “among the most important reasons” for Blinken’s visit.

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