Towards the creation of Algerian-Greek business council

The Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACI) and the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) signed Wednesday an agreement for the creation of an Algerian-Greek Business Council.
The document was signed by CACI Director General Mohamed Chami and SEV Director of International Relations Ioannis Patsiavos, in the presence of the director general of economic relations and international cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Merzak Belhimeur, and Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece Dimitris Kourkoulas, who is on a working visit to Algiers from 4 to 6 November).
The Business Council "will contribute to identifying new areas of cooperation and partnership, and to diversifying the economic exchanges between the two countries," said Belhimeur.
For his part, Kourkoulas said that the Greek companies are interested in participating in the different projects of Algeria's five-year development plan, particularly in the fields of building, public works, hydraulics, building materials, aquafarming, agriculture and pharmaceutical products.
Trade between Algeria and Greece amounted to US$ 899 million in 2013, including US$ 364 million of Algerian exports and US$ 535 million of imports from Greece, i.e. a surplus of US$ 175 million for the European country.