Algerian Radio
Algeria and Chad have signed two framework agreements in the fields of tourism and handicrafts, in a move reflecting the shared will of the two countries to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation, a press release from the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts indicated.
These agreements were signed on Sunday by the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Houria Meddahi, and the Chadian Minister of Tourist Development, Culture and Handicrafts, Mr. Abakar Rozzi Teguil.
Previously, Ms. Meddahi delivered an address in which she emphasized that this initiative "reflects the shared will of the two countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation and elevate it to the level of a strategic partnership, in accordance with the political orientations of the leaders of both countries, particularly following the official visit of the President of the Republic of Chad to Algeria."
On this occasion, she insisted on the importance of valorizing the enormous tourism potential, as well as the cultural and environmental diversity of both countries, in order to achieve sustainable tourism development. She highlighted the central role of handicrafts as a "bearer of African identity and an essential lever for the revitalization of tourism."
The Minister further called for "intensifying cooperation between executives and experts from the two sectors and opening new prospects for partnership, particularly in the fields of tourism promotion, training, and the valorization of artisanal heritage, in order to strengthen African integration."
For his part, the Chadian Minister praised the importance of the International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (SITEV), which opens on Monday in Algiers, calling it a "strategic platform for exchange and cooperation." He also highlighted Algeria's "leading role" in promoting African tourism, reaffirming, in this context, "his country's commitment to strengthening the partnership with Algeria in the fields of tourism, culture, and handicrafts."
As a reminder, the objective of these two agreements is to "establish the foundations for practical and sustainable cooperation encompassing the development of the tourism product, investment promotion, the exchange of expertise, and training, in addition to the valorization of handicrafts as a pillar of cultural identity and a lever for local development."
This approach also constitutes "a new milestone in strengthening intra-African cooperation and a genuine materialization of the two countries' vision to unite efforts and tap into shared potential, thereby opening promising prospects for a strategic partnership serving economic development and continental integration," the press release concluded.
