Speech by the President of the Republic, Mr Abdelmadjid Tebboune, delivered by the Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahmed Attaf, at the Development Summit

The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, addressed on Saturday, a speech to the participants in the 5th session of the Arab Summit for Economic and Social Development organized as part of the 34th Arab Summit being held in Baghdad (Iraq), delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf.

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Prayer and peace be upon His Messenger,

Excellencies, Majesties,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Algeria welcomes the holding of this summit dedicated to issues that are equally significant as the political, diplomatic, and security priorities that dominate joint Arab action at the present time.

The goals of economic building and sustainable development cannot be considered as accessory or superfluous, but rather as imperatives closely linked to the requirements of Arab national security and to the responsibility that falls upon us to enhance the potential of Arab peoples for the present and future generations.

Algeria, while reiterating its adherence and commitment to contribute to the achievement of the Arab economic integration, wishes to emphasize three key priorities:

First, sustainable development in the Arab region must be based on the principle of solidarity with our nation’s wounded countries, starting with occupied Palestine, without forgetting other brotherly Arab countries suffering from the throes of crises, conflicts and wars. The security and prosperity of our Arab region cannot be achieved without the recovery of these countries, the end of the injustices they are facing and their restoration to the path of stability, development and prosperity.

Second, the achievement of Arab economic integration must not remain a postponed dream passed down through Arab generations. Inter-Arab trade, despite the growth recorded in recent years, represents less than 8% of the total volume of exchanges between Arab countries and the rest of the world. The same applies to inter-Arab investments, whose figures remain below expectations with significant disparities between countries.

Third, achieving the desired Arab economic integration depends on our common will to establish essential foundations, particularly through the full implementation of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), the development of inter-Arab transport networks, as well as the creation of banking, financial and insurance mechanisms, which are essential for strengthening inter-Arab investment and intensifying trade exchanges.

For its part, Algeria intends to be a key player in various economic initiatives aimed at strengthening rapprochement, interaction and cooperation between Arab countries. My country has been a member of GAFTA since 2009 and helped establish various Arab financing and investment institutions, while supporting projects for land, sea, air and even energy interconnection.

My country stresses the need for Arab states not to lag behind in current revolutions, particularly in renewable energy, digitization, artificial intelligence, robotics and nanotechnology.

The joint Arab action must prioritize these future-critical fields by combining our efforts, mobilizing our capacities and unifying our potential, to ensure we aren't marginalized by the profound technological transformations that will shape the destiny of human civilization in the coming decades.

Algeria, thanks to the potential with which God has blessed it, will continue supporting all efforts that prioritize economic cooperation among our countries, so that each can benefit equitably from development, occupy the appropriate place in the world economic order and contribute, as far as possible, to the realization of the aspirations of our peoples and to the building of a future marked by security, development and prosperity alongside other peoples of the world.

Thank you for your kind attention.”