Foreign Minister Attaf Engages World Leaders on Development, Stability
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf concluded an intensive week of diplomatic engagement during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. His schedule featured numerous high-level meetings with international officials aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing pressing regional and global issues. A significant discussion took place with Massad Boulos, a US Presidential advisor for Arab and African affairs, centered on enhancing economic partnership and regional stability. This productive exchange was later confirmed by the US diplomatic representation in Algiers, underscoring the robust nature of relations between the two nations.
Mr. Attaf’s engagements extended to a broad spectrum of counterparts, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with whom he discussed reinforcing friendship, economic partnership, and trade, alongside international and regional concerns such as the Middle East, the Sahel, and Western Sahara. Meetings with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed a positive dynamic in cooperation, particularly in energy, economic ties, and trade, with preparations underway for an upcoming Algeria-Spain high-level meeting and business forum. Further discussions involved the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud on developments in the Middle East and the Sahel, as well as the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, to advance multi-dimensional cooperation.
Algeria’s commitment to regional stability and self-determination was a recurring theme in the discussions. Mr. Attaf met with the Foreign Minister of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, to review the latest developments regarding Western Sahara and the United Nations process for a just and lasting political solution that ensures the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. This position was reinforced by a US Presidential advisor previously dismissing suggestions of Algerian obstruction and acknowledging Algeria's constructive cooperation on the issue. Additionally, Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine praised Algeria's pivotal multi-faceted support at the UNGA, highlighting its crucial role in Niger's resilience against sanctions and isolation, through significant investments and dynamic cooperation across health, education, energy, water resources, and agriculture, alongside regional projects like the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. The Algerian delegation also reiterated its firm stance on the Palestinian cause, advocating for a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and underscored its solidarity by participating in a walkout during an Israeli official's speech at the General Assembly.
