Attached is a list of phased initiatives which the Department and other
interested agencies are considering with a view toward strengthening
U.S. relations with post-Boumediene Algeria, where a new President was elected on
February 7 and inaugurated on February 9.
Implementation of many of these initiatives will be contingent on the new
regime’s attitude toward the U.S. We also will take into account their
effect on our relations with other states in the region. We will
coordinate closely with the National Security Council as we proceed.
Attachment
Paper Prepared in the Department of
State4
Initiatives to Strengthen
U.S.-Algerian Relations
PROSPECTIVE ACTIONS DURING NEXT 3 MONTHS:
—Send a high-level delegation, including Congressional
representation, to Algeria early in the administration of Algerian
President Bendjedid, perhaps
when his new government is selected and con
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firmed by the Popular National Assembly. The
Department has suggested a list of names from which an eventual
delegation can be drawn.
—Send a letter from President Carter to President Bendjedid encouraging continued close economic
relations and political dialogue and inviting him to visit the U.S.
at a mutually acceptable future date. The Department has dispatched
this letter to Algeria.
—Respond to Algeria’s desire to increase the price of gas under the
El Paso I contract in a fashion which protects the interests of U.S.
consumers and minimizes disturbance to U.S.-Algerian relations. The
Department of Energy is considering available options in
consultation with State.
—Offer ICA travel grants enabling
lecturers from New York University to instruct at the Algerian
National School of Administration (ENA). ICA will be able to meet this request.
—Encourage the new Algerian Government to sign a pending cultural
agreement.
—Identify funding available to carry out cultural exchange activities
under the prospective cultural agreement. These would include
facilitating cooperative relationships between American and Algerian
universities. There is a possibility of using funds under Section
661 of the Foreign Assistance Act for these purposes.
—Arrange consultations/briefings with the Algerian Foreign Minister
on Middle East and African issues.
PROSPECTIVE ACTIONS WITHIN 3 TO 9 MONTHS:
—A visit to Algeria by a science and technology team, perhaps headed
by White House Science Advisor Frank
Press, to encourage wider cooperation in these areas.
The National Science Foundation is prepared to send a team to
Algeria to consider specific forms of cooperation.
—A visit to Algeria by Secretary Bergland to discuss Algerian agricultural
development and cooperation in sectors identified in a USDA/AID study where U.S. reimbursable technical assistance
might be relevant to Algerian efforts. Preliminary reactions from
USDA are that the Secretary
would be interested in such a visit, possibly in the summer.
—Offer to consider modest amounts of Eximbank financing for equipment
to be used in well-planned pilot agricultural projects as a further
indication of U.S. interest in Algerian agricultural development.
Several of the agricultural projects in the USDA/AID study are suitable for such supplier credit
financing.
—Invite the commander of the Algerian Air Academy to visit the U.S.
Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. He has expressed interest
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in such a trip. The Air
Force has indicated agreement in principle to such a visit.5 If it is successful, invitations
could be extended to other Algerian service school chiefs.
—Offer to assign a defense attache to Algiers. Defense agrees in
principle.
—Explore possibility of negotiating an Overseas Private Investment
Corporation agreement with Algeria to facilitate American business
in Algeria. Embassy Algiers has been asked to comment on this
initiative.
—Exchange visits of military students. Algeria received students from
our National War College in 1977, and we could invite a comparable
group to visit the U.S.
—Subject to the state of our relations with both Algeria and Morocco,
we would consider early in the summer of 1979 approaching the
Algerians to ask if they would be interested in sending some of
their military to the United States for training beginning in FY 1981. Defense agrees in
principle.
