Burns discusses in Algeria the Greater Middle East initiative
Algeria-USA, Politics, 5/12/2004

A source at the Algerian foreign ministry said that the US under secretary of state for the Middle East affairs William Burns will pay tomorrow ( Thursday) a visit to Algeria.

Burns will discuss with the Algerian officials, in addition to bilateral relations, security cooperation and coordination in the field of information on the war in Iraq and the Palestinian question.

Burns will also debate the US official view point concerning the Greater Middle East initiative proposed by Washington to the Arab states within the political and social reforms which it find necessary to reach a comprehensive dialogue in the region.

The American initiative received strong opposition from the Arab states especially from Egypt. The US seeks in Algeria support for its idea, but Algeria has taken a position opposing that of Egypt and other countries which deliberately opposed any political reforms in the Arab region and the pretext these will destabilize the Arab states.

The Algerian foreign minister Abdul Aziz Balkhadem explained in a Euromed meeting held earlier in Dublin that Algeria encourages all political and social reforms initiatives which are in the service of the interests of the peoples of the region, but these reforms are not to be imposed on the countries concerned.

Worthy mentioning that Algerian- American relations are witnessing tremendous development. The US is currently building an Algerian military base in the Greater desert.

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