Jean Pierre Raffarin calls for strong French Algerian economic cooperation

Following a second meeting with Cherif Rahmani the Algerian Minister of Industry,Investment Promotion and SME’s  Mr Raffarin stressed the need to mobilize more French companies to enter the Algerian market."Notable progress" had been made in some specific issues of cooperation and there are opportunities especially in the cement, automotive and pharmaceutical sectors he remarked, APS reported

Mr Raffarin expressed optimism on the forthcoming visit of President Francois Hollande in December. He felt a  joint Algerian French project to build a cement plant in Oum EL Bouaghi with the Lafarge Cement Industry Group of Algeria (Gica) was especially promising.
 
Both sides have much to gain from enhanced economic relations, France needs the market opportunities that Algeria has to offer and Algeria can benefit from joint efforts to diversify its economy away from its heavy dependence on hydrocarbons into industries which provide more employment opportunities .The fact that President Hollande  worked briefly in Algeria early in his career and his sympathetic efforts towards reconciliation with Algeria over the colonial past may at last open the door to a new relationship which both countries seek.