Edifier un continent intégré – La Nouvelle République Algérie

Edify an integrated continent

The president chaired the opening ceremony of the IATF 2025

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune chaired on Thursday at the International Center for Conferences (ICC) Abdelatif-Rahal, in Algiers, the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the intra-African trade fair (IATF 2025). This occasion, he said that “Africa represents the future” and that “Algeria will actively contribute continent.
The President of the Republic recalled the “very sensitive and delicate global situation, where events accelerate at an unprecedented rate”.
He explained that this meeting aims to be the embodiment of the collective consciousness which animates us all to build an integrated continent, a continent with the strong and influential will in its regional and international environment ”.
Considerable achievements have been made during the past two decades, he said, in particular “the activation of the continental African free trade area (ZLECAF), the membership of the African Union (AU) in the G20 and the establishment of partnership relations with major powers and economic organizations worldwide”. However, he considered that “the path remains to be traveled to repair historical injustices towards Africa and allow the continent to take the place that suits him in the world economy”.
The President of the Republic also urged African countries to “unite their efforts to allow the continent to contribute to international economic decision and to get out of marginalization”. He cited significant figures: the share in voting rights to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not exceed 6.5%, the lowest within this organization, while its share to the World Bank does not exceed 11%; The share of Africa in world trade does not exceed 3%, “what is insignificant compared to the resources at its disposal and which represent 30% of the world’s natural resources, in addition to a population of more than 1.5 billion, which makes it a huge emerging market,” he said; The share of Africa in the flow of global investments does not exceed $ 94 billion per year (less than 6% of the total flow), “the lowest share in the world”. In addition, the African continent suffers from a “deep lack of transport, energy, communication and financing infrastructure”, he noted, but, he continued, this data “should not start our determination, but constitute an additional motivation to mobilize our collective capacities and transform our continental reality into success in terms of development”.
President Tebboune spoke about the structuring megaprojects launched by Algeria which benefit the continent, at the top of which the trans -Saharan route, the gas pipeline connecting Algeria and Nigeria, which will guarantee energy to several countries, the project of trans -Saharan optical dorsal which strengthens digital sovereignty, the railway line towards Mali by passing by Adrar and The railway line to Niger via Tamanrasset, in addition to the launch of air and sea links between African capitals, the opening of Algerian banking branches in different African countries and many other projects.
The President of the Republic also cited the creation of five free zones with the brothers of the Maghreb and the Sahelo-Saharan region. He recalled that Algeria has contributed, since its independence, to the training of no less than 65,000 African executives, convinced of the importance of working for the development of the continent. Another figure: Algeria has recently erased debts from 14 African countries worth $ 1.5 billion. The President of the Republic said he was convinced that “the future of Africa, in which Algeria believes, is based on the collective capacity of its countries to set up an integrated infrastructure”. He highlighted the capacities allowing Algeria to contribute to the development of the continent, in particular through the possibility for Algerian ports to receive, within 5 or 6 years, goods from landlocked African countries.
The President of the Republic invited African leaders and officials participating in making this 4th edition of the IATF “a new start and a renewed era where we give ourselves to advance to a safe step towards a strong, united and prosperous Africa”.
Lakhdar A.