Russia Returns to Algeria

In the structure of the Russian-Arabian Business Council, or the RABC, a new and ninth on the count section has appeared, it’s the Russian-Algerian Business Council, or the RALBC, headed by Mikhail Gutseriev, President of Oil Company RussNeft OAO. On Friday speaking at the inaugural meeting of this business body Chairman of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or the TPPRF, Eugene Primakov (the setting up of the Russian section was initiated by the RABC and TPPRF) accentuated that in spite of transnationalization of business connections, each Arab country had its own peculiarities which required respective structuring of the RABC. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Amar Abba present at the meeting stated that ‘the economic cooperation is significantly lagging behind the quality of the political connections and objectives specified by the Declaration on  Strategic Partnership’, which Algeria and Russia had signed in 2001. “And the setting up of the Russian-Algerian Council can be only welcomed,” said the ambassador. “It is the best instrument for establishing specific and efficient contacts between business people of the two countries. The Algerian businessmen, future members of the Council, are looking forward to meeting their Russian colleagues in Algeria to sign a respective agreement.” 
Director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department Andrei Polyakov added, that there were many favorable prerequisites to ensure active and efficient functioning of the RALBC including similar stands of our countries on the most of international and religious issues, closer contacts between foreign policy offices and increase in turnover. According to him, the RF Foreign Affairs Ministry pays much attention to the diplomatic support of the projects in the context of Russian-Algerian cooperation.  
Passing over to the organizational matters Chairman of the RABC’s Russian section Vladimir Evtushenko offered to elect Mikhail Gutseriev to head the new body. Evtushenko referred to him as one of the most talented Russian businessmen and expressed confidence that being in the head of the Russian-Algerian business sector he would cope with the set tasks. Eugene Primakov described Mikhail Gutseriev as ‘a successful and honest businessman’. He also reminded all those present that the head of RussNeft started his career as a loader.
No objections were raised against the candidature of Mikhail Gutseriev whereupon the head of the RALBC’s Russian section took the course of the meeting into his hands.  Upon thanking all the participants of the meeting for the credence given to him he said that the work ahead was no new to him. “Being a deputy of the State Duma I was in the head of this sector and visited actually all the Arab countries. I went to Algeria several times and promoted development of Russia’s business in that area and Algerian business in the opposite direction,” said Mikhail Gutseriev. He also informed all those present that currently he ran his own business in Algeria but his projects were not going to be on the way of the common course. “It is not in my plans to pull the blanket over myself, on the contrary I am going to support all of you,” he assured the members of the council. “One must act so that the blanket could suffice for all,” remarked Eugene Primakov. Mikhail Gutseriev promised that so it would be.
When answering question of correspondents Mikhail Gutseriev confirmed that RussNeft would take part in Russian-Algerian projects. “But I see my goal on a larger scale,” emphasized he. “My goal is such that the Arab countries and Russia, as well as Arabian and Russian businessmen could raise a joint capital. My task is to make Russia’s businessmen familiar with the administrative, legislative, taxation, legal systems of Algeria, rather to provide them with more details on the subject, as well as to inform them about the privatization program in Algeria (according to Mr.Amar Abba, nearly 1000 medium and small-scale enterprises in Algeria are to go private – NG). My objective is to collect pool and correctly address financial and commodity flows so that the system might work.”
The speech was followed by the discussion of organizational matters. Mikhail Gutseriev informed Mr.Amar Abba that the Russian delegation was ready to fly over to Algeria either in the second half of February or beginning of March and he would like to have as soon as possible the list of Algerian businessmen to be included in the Business Council in order that the Russian delegation might be formed in accordance with the business interests. The ambassador promised to help and said that the first half of March was most suitable for such meeting. Mikhail Gutseriev informed the members of the Council that RussNeft would pay for the first trip of the delegation to Algeria, as for financing subsequent trips the Council would finalize it on a routine basis.
The meeting also passed a provision concerning the Russian section of RALBC. The provision states that the Council is no legal entity and will function pro bono. The objectives of the council are arranging direct contacts between businessmen of the two countries, developing the database, promoting export-import diversification of commodities interchange, increasing investments. As Eugene Primakov informed the correspondents, the Business Council welcomes companies wishing to participate in Russian-Algerian cooperation. And the field for such cooperation is very broad. “Algeria means oil and gas, Algeria means construction, agriculture, trade and tourism,” this is how Mikhail Gutseriev identified the priorities of the most promising trends of cooperation.