Algeria signs with EU two agreements worth 95 million euros

Algeria said on Sunday that it signed two agreements with the European Union this month and last September to receive 95 millions euros as part of meda-1 program which grants the Arab state assistance to support its economic reform.

A foreign ministry official told Algerian news agency APS the first 57 million euros-agreement will support small and medium-sized enterprises and set up a local network for economic and technical information data in Algeria.

The second 38 million euro agreement is designed for technical programs implemented by the ministry of industry, he said.

The 1996-99 meda-1 is a program set by the UE to help in nonmember Mediterranean states' economic reforms.

Algiers was scheduled to receive 250 million euros according to the program, but suspension of dialogue between the two sides' froze the disbursement of the rest of the package.

The two sides are carrying on negotiations on details of meda-2 to support reforms of finance and taxation sectors and intellectual and industrial copyright systems.