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Thank you, President. 

Honourable Members [of the European Parliament], 

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to join this debate on Algeria, a close neighbour and long-term partner of the European Union. 

EU-Algeria relations are comprehensive, strong and cover a broad range of issues, including energy, security and trade. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a key building block of our partnership, as reflected in the EU-Algeria Association Agreement. Human rights and fundamental freedoms are universal, as enshrined in well-established international law. Algeria subscribes to that view and has sealed them in its Constitution. 

Recently, however, we have observed a number of arrests, prosecutions and detentions of journalists and human rights defenders in the country. One of the most prominent cases is that of Ihsane El Kadi, Director of the editorial division of “Radio M” and the news website “Maghreb Emergent”, who was arrested in December [2022] and sentenced to a five-year prison term in April [2023].  

Among friends and partners, it is not only possible, but necessary to address matters of concern frankly and openly. High Representative/Vice-President [Josep] Borrell did so, most recently during his visit to Algeria on 12-13 March, where he met with President [of Algeria, Abdelmadjid] Tebboune, Prime Minister [of Algeria, Aïmene] Benabderrahmane, and members of Algerian civil society, including businesspeople, artists and journalists.  

As the High Representative/Vice-President stressed during his press conference [in Algeria], Algeria’s election to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council also entails special responsibilities for the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly the protection of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of the press and freedom of expression.  

In addition to the high-level visits, the European Union also regularly addresses human rights in the framework of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, notably in the Political and Human Rights Dialogue Sub-Committee, and through continuous contacts with civil society representatives in Algeria and Brussels.  

The European Union is ready to engage in further dialogue with Algeria and to strengthen our cooperation in this field. And I appreciate the various suggestions you have put forward on how this could be best achieved. 

Thank you very much.

Link to the video (starting from 19:13): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-240741