CURRENT RELATIONS
Bilateral Relations
-Historical context
Pakistan was at the forefront of the countries that supported the glorious Algerian revolution in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. It recognized its provisional government in 1958, and opened a diplomatic representative office in Karachi, the capital of the country at the time. It also granted Pakistani diplomatic passports to some of the revolution leaders such as Ahmed Ben Bella, who later became the first president of the Algerian Republic after regaining independence in 5 July 1962.
Bilateral relations were marked by high-level reciprocal visits, albeit few, and the most important is the visit of President Houari Boumediene to Pakistan to participate in the first conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Lahore in 1974, and President of the Nation council, as a special envoy, in October 1999. On the other hand, Pakistani visits to Algeria include Prime Ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in January 1972, Benazir Bhutto in July 1990, Nawaz Sharif in 1991, and President Pervez Musharraf in July 2003.
This year, Algeria and Pakistan celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which began in October 1963; historical relations distinguished by solidarity, cooperation and coordination in various organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Group of 77.
These valuable political relations are reflected in the convergence of point of views on many international issues of common interest and mutual support for their candidatures in various regional and international organizations. However, such affairs does not reflects in the economic and commercial cooperation that remain limited and hence need continuous activation and growth.
1- The legal framework for cooperation:
The legal framework for cooperation is represented by the Political Consultations Committee between the two countries, which was established by an agreement signed in Algeria on 06/07/2003, and the Joint Committee for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, which was established by an agreement signed in Algeria on 04/07/1985.
It is chaired on the Algerian side by the Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, and on the Pakistani side by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The two countries signed different agreements, memorandums of understanding and cooperation in various fields.
-Bilateral relations since 2021:
March 21: The third session of political consultations was held in Algeria via video technology between the foreign ministries of the two countries, headed by the Director General of Asia and Oceania, Ambassador Boumedienne Guenad, and the additional Secretary- , Ambassador Ali Jawad.
- Year 2022:
February 17: Pakistan's participation in the 17th session of the Algerian International Competition of Recitation of Quran, organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments, under the high patronage of the Honorable President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
-14 March: Meeting of Ambassador Brahim Romani with businessmen in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Islamabad, where he delivered a speech on Algeria's new foreign policy, which attaches great importance to promoting cooperation, partnership and trade exchange in different regions and countries , including Pakistan as a great country in South Asia.
- 22-23 March : Participation of Ambassador Ahmed Yamina, Special Envoy in charge of international security issues, representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, in the conference of the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Organization of Cooperation in Islamabad, and participation in Pakistan's celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country / National Day.
-16-26 May: Algeria's participation in the conference "The role of information in national security, especially in the field of risk management resulting from the threat of transnational terrorist operations" organized in Islamabad by the General Directorate of Joint Intelligence (ISI).
- 13-18 June: Participation of Pakistani businessmen and companies in the 53rd session of the International Fair of Algiers.
-23 September: Meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community abroad, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as well as discussions on developing bilateral relations and ways of support and development in diverse fields, in addition to exchanging views on a number of issues of common interest.
October 8-10 : Participation of a professor from Pakistan in the sixth session of the International Conference on Population and Faunal communities in Algiers.
October 10: Signing Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation held between The National Institute of Global Strategic Studies -Algeria and Institute of Strategic Studies - Islamabad.
-October 11: Following the devastating torrential rains that struck Pakistan in the summer of 2022, Algeria expressed its sympathies and solidarity with Pakistan through messages of condolence sent by:
- The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, addressed to the President of the Republic, Dr. Arif Alvi, and the Prime Minister Mr. Shahbaz Sharif.
- The President of the Nation Council, Mr. Salah Goudjil, addressed to the Chairman of Senate Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani.
- The President of the National People's Assembly, Mr. Brahim Boughali, addressed to his counterpart Mr. Raja Pervez Ashraf.
The Ambassador of Algeria in Islamabad, Mr. Brahim Romani, also handed over the cheque to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jauhar Saleem, on account of financial aid from the Algerian Government to the Pakistani Government.
- October 22-23: Participation of a professor from Pakistan in the international conference on communication, cultural interaction and the use of languages in virtual spaces in the 21st century held in Mostaganem.
- November 12-13: Participation of two Pakistani professors in the international conference on Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maghili, organized under the high patronage of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune held in Algiers
- November 12-24: Participation of an artist from Pakistan in the International Cultural Festival on Miniatures and Decorative Arts held in Tlemcen.
- December 02: Visit of Ambassador Brahim Romani, to Lahore to meet businessmen from the Punjab district, especially the Chairman of (Fatima Group) interested in trade and investment with Algeria.
- December 13:
- Meeting with the Chairman of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Mr. Zubair Motiwala.
-Meeting with elite businessmen at the REGENT PLAZA Hotel in Karachi.
- Meeting with businessmen at the headquarters of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce in Karachi, organized by AMBASSADORS magazine, where Ambassador Mr. Brahim Romani presented a speech on bilateral economic cooperation, opportunities and advantages of the new investment law in Algeria.
- December 14: Meeting with businessmen and representatives of accredited diplomatic missions in Karachi, organized by Mr. Ahsan Mukhtar Zubairi , Secretary General of the Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- December 15: Signing memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Algerian-Pakistani business Council - (CBJ) between the Algerian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CACI) and the Federation of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCI), held via video conferencing.
The year 2022 recorded the visit of about 100 Pakistani businessmen to Algeria to participate in international exhibitions and meetings with their Algerian counterparts, and to discover the investment market and fruitful trade opportunities, especially in light of the new investment law, issued in June 2022.
-Year 2023:
- January 02-27: Participation of a delegation from the Pakistani Parliament headed by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Zahid Akram Durrani, in the 17th session of the Union of Parliaments of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation scheduled in Algiers.
- February 08-09: Participation of a delegation from the National People's Assembly in the ‘First International Conference of Parliamentarians on Road Safety’ organized by the International Parliamentarians Congress headed by Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman of IPC. An opportunity to meet their counterparts from the Pakistani Shura Council.
-January 16-20: (Fatima Group) visited Algeria to explore trade and investment opportunities, especially in the mines and fertilizers sector, received by senior officials of Algerian Ministry of Energy and Mines (Manal, Sonatrach, Asmidal, Somiphos groups), and also visited phosphate mines and factories in the east of the country - Tebessa, Asmidal complex and the port of Annaba.
-February 10-12: Ambassador Brahim Romani, representing the Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, participated in the first Pakistan International Maritime Conference and Exhibition 2023 PIMEC, organized by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Naval Forces Command in Karachi.