Algiers - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in interview
remarks Sunday he aimed to conclude economic deals worth 5 billion
dollars during his upcoming visit to Algeria.
In remarks reported by the Algerian news agency APS, the French
president said the state energy concern Gaz de France was planning to
invest 1 billion dollars, while the oil group Total planned 1.5
billion dollars' worth of investments in Algeria.
In addition, during his three-day visit starting Monday the two
sides would take up discussion of a programme of cooperation between
medium-sized companies, Sarkozy said.
A further issue during his visit is expected to be his proposal
for a Mediterranean union with concrete projects in transportation,
energy, water supplies and eduction, Sarkozy told APS.
But such a union would not replace the cooperation now in place
between the European Union and North Africa, he said.
Sarkozy is to be accompanied by the heads of some 120 French
companies on the visit to Algeria, as well as by several cabinet
members including Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Justice
Minister Radhida Dati, who is of Algerian-Moroccan ethnic background.
Casting a shadow on the visit ahead of time were anti-Semitic
remarks in an interview by Minister for War Veterans Mohammed Cherif
Abbes, who last week said Sarkozy owed his electoral victory to
Israel and 'the Jewish lobby.
In the furor that followed, Algerian President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika publicly rebuked his minister and telephoned Sarkozy to
assure him that he was welcome in Algeria. Sarkozy then said he would
be travelling to Algeria 'as a friend.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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