The Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, confirmed on Wednesday the Algerian state’s commitment to defending the interests of its citizens wherever they are, as these interests are an integral part of the interests of the Algerian state as a whole.
This came during his supervision of the closing of the conference of heads of Algerian consular centers abroad, which was held with the participation of all heads of consular centers. The event served as a platform for extensive discussion on ways to develop consular work and improve the handling of the concerns and aspirations of the national community living abroad.
The Minister of State noted the richness of the conference program, which covered various aspects related to consular work and its role in serving the community, praising the contribution of various ministerial sectors and national bodies that actively participated in the proceedings and contributed to its success and the enrichment of its results.
Attaf explained that organizing this conference falls within the strategic direction given by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to the dimension related to the national community abroad in Algeria’s foreign policy. This is through a comprehensive vision aimed at strengthening the spirit of belonging and enhancing the sense of citizenship among community members, confirming their role as bridges for communication and understanding and builders of cooperation and partnership relations, while making them key actors in national development efforts and the country’s renewal process.
In this context, the Minister of State reviewed the set of decisions and measures taken by the President of the Republic for the benefit of the national community abroad, stressing that they established the principle of considering Algerians living abroad as an integral part of the Algerian people, with the same rights, privileges, duties, and responsibilities.
He pointed out that these measures included social aspects, such as covering the costs of several services, defending the rights of Algerian citizens abroad, and extending the national retirement system to include them. Additionally, housing quotas have been allocated for them within national housing programs, alongside economic measures aimed at stimulating the community’s contribution to the national economy, particularly by enabling youth abroad to benefit from national mechanisms dedicated to creating micro-enterprises or startups.
Attaf also touched upon efforts to strengthen consular services, facilitate and simplify administrative procedures, and improve reception conditions for community members, especially during the summer season, while encouraging initiatives aimed at organizing the community within structured and influential associations.
Regarding the latest measure approved by the President of the Republic for the benefit of Algerian youth abroad in fragile or irregular situations, the Minister of State stressed the need for heads of consular centers to give the utmost importance to its implementation on the ground by accompanying those concerned through all necessary stages until their status is definitively regularized.
Attaf called for following up on the implementation of the conference’s outcomes with seriousness and responsibility, especially regarding the development of consular management methods, continuing to simplify and unify administrative procedures, and ensuring the application of the seventeen adopted regulatory texts, in addition to modernizing consular services in line with the national strategy for digital transformation.
At the conclusion of his speech, he stressed that the legal and consular protection of community members remains the core of consular work and its highest goal, renewing the Algerian government’s commitment to fulfilling all its obligations in this regard and continuing to provide all necessary conditions to perform this responsibility fully toward Algerian citizens living abroad.
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