Islamic world’s liberal face to grace R-Day parade

One reason why Boutefilka, who will hold discussions with President K R Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, supports India with reference to Pakistan is because Algeria, too, considers itself a victim of Islamic terrorism.

Between 1992 and 1997, after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Algeria suffered 100,000 deaths and over 1 million people displaced internally, as well as losses worth $20 billion — the size of Algeria’s entire foreign debt. All due to a bloody history of fundamentalist movements such as the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) which comprised Afghan mercenaries who turned their guns on the northern African state after the Red Army departed.

Algeria’s current position is unique in the world because it has enshrined democracy in a predominantly Islamic state after combatting fundamentalist forces. In November 1995, President Liamine Zeroual was elected in the first open, multi-candidate elections in Algeria after the assassination of Mohammed Boudiaff in June 1992.

On December 7, 1996, President Liamine Zeroual signed new constitutional reforms which, among other things, banned political parties that were formed on the basis of religion or language. On April 15, 1999, Algeria held democratic presidential elections which were won by Abdul Aziz Bouteflika.

Apart from politics, trade with this OPEC member nation is another important area of cooperation. During the presidential visit, the two countries are expected to conclude a memorandum of understanding to enable ONGC Videsh to start exploration and production of oil in Block 242 in collaboration with Sonatrach of Algeria. This, along with the deal with Iraq, could mean oil worth a billion dollars flowing in and through India.

Negotiations are also in an advanced stage to finalise a deal by Lakshmi Mittal — who was in Algiers in November 2000 — for Ispat International to take over Algeria’s only steel plant.