Prince Andrew inaugurates the new British Embassy in Algeria

Prince Andrew, fourth in the order of succession to the British throne, opened Monday in Algiers the new premises of the British Embassy in Algeria.

•     Relations between Algeria and the United Kingdom are strengthening and growing very quickly pointed out the Prince Andrew, who arrived Sunday in Algiers at the head of a delegation of British businessmen for a three-day visit in Algeria.
  
      The construction of the new headquarters of the Embassy has cost some 23 million pounds, according to an official of the embassy.
  
      Second son of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was on his visit as a representative of the United Kingdom in charge of foreign trade and investment. As such, he made a first visit to Algeria in November 2007.
  
      The Prince Andrew spoke of the bilateral economic cooperation Sunday with the Algerian Minister of Industry and Investment Promotion, Hamid Temmar. He also met with Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci.
  
      Combined British investment in Algeria totaled 60 billion dollars mainly in oil, according to the British Embassy in Algiers.
  
      The construction of the new headquarters of the Embassy comes after the resumption of full visa service in Algiers in December 2007 and the reopening of British Council (British cultural center) in October 2007, whose facilities were closed during a wave of killings and abductions of foreign citizens in 1994-1995.
  
      The Algerians were forced in 1994 to travel to Tunis for the processing of visa applications.
      
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.