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Heading towards health cooperation.
The common desire to establish Algerian-Russian health cooperation as a model of strategic partnership in Africa was at the center of the meeting which brought together, in Algiers, the Minister of Health, Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudène, and Alexeï Evguenievitch Repik, chairman of the board of directors of the PharmJSC Group, one of the largest Russian companies active in development, production and distribution of medicines. This was stated in a press release from the ministry on Wednesday.
Aït Messaoudène immediately highlighted “the strategic scope of Algerian-Russian relations in a global context marked by the desire to strengthen local production capacities”, during this meeting which took place as an extension of the relations of friendship and cooperation which unite Algeria and the Russian Federation. The discussions took place in the presence of the president of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA), Kamel Moula, the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Algeria, as well as several executives from the central administration and the sectors concerned.
The minister thus underlined Algeria’s desire to “deepen cooperation in areas with high potential, notably biotechnologies, the development of biological medicines, the manufacture of vaccines and the development of innovative treatments”. He also emphasized the regional dimension of the Algerian health strategy, mentioning the creation of the National Reference Center for the fight against tropical diseases, a structure which has become, according to him, “indispensable in the Sahel region where the mobility of populations increases epidemiological risks”.
One of the important aspects of this meeting focused on technological cooperation and the training of local skills. The discussions highlighted the interest in developing operational partnerships between the public and private sectors, in order to support the upscaling of the Algerian pharmaceutical industry and make it a lever for sustainable growth.
Aït Messaoudène stressed that “Algeria has qualified human resources and a legislative environment conducive to industrial development,” adding that the country “is ready to welcome foreign investments based on the transfer of know-how and local production.”
For his part, Alexeï Repikn, also president of the Business Russia organization, welcomed the strategic vision of the Algerian government in the field of health, affirming that his group “wishes to actively contribute to this dynamic through investment and research partnerships”. He highlighted “the considerable potential of the Algerian market” and PharmJSC’s desire to establish itself there sustainably.
A partnership focused on Africa
Beyond the bilateral aspects, the discussions also addressed the African perspectives of Algerian-Russian cooperation. Algeria, due to its geographical position and its rapidly modernizing medical infrastructure, is seen as a strategic bridge to the African continent for the development of joint projects in the pharmaceutical field. Aït Messaoudène underlined that “Algeria’s ambition, beyond producing for its own market, is also to become a key player in Africa in the manufacturing and distribution of medicines”. This ambition is consistent with the Russian desire to strengthen its presence in emerging markets through long-term cooperation based on innovation and sustainability.