Full Text of the Council of Ministers' Press Release.( APS, 06/04/2026)

ALGIERS – The President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Minister of National Defence, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday. The meeting focused on the draft law concerning the conduct of commercial activities, as well as presentations, including one on the mechanization of the agricultural sector and another on the future of the mining sector, according to a statement from the Council of Ministers, translated by APS as follows:

"The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defence, chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers today. The meeting focused on the draft law concerning the conduct of commercial activities, as well as presentations, including one on the mechanization of the agricultural sector and another on the future of the mining sector.

After the presentation of the Council of Ministers' agenda, followed by a presentation by the Prime Minister on the Government's activities over the past two weeks, the President of the Republic gave the following presentations..." The following instructions, guidelines and directions:

Regarding the forward-looking presentation on the mining sector:

The President of the Republic emphasized the need for the next phase to live up to Algeria's ambitions, which are rooted in a strategy of secure economic power and diversification as the foundation of a truly emerging state, supported by credible data on the ground. To this end:

- The President of the Republic ordered the prompt presentation to the Council of Ministers of the exploration plan for this sector, which must precisely and comprehensively define the priority mining sectors for the next phase, while rigorously establishing exploitation and production timelines.

- The President of the Republic stressed that, henceforth, only a sustained pace in the implementation of the given guidelines and agreed action plans will be accepted for all selected mining sectors, as an essential choice to guarantee stable development.

- The President of the Republic has ordered that mining exploration in this strategic sector rely entirely on technology, as well as on local human resources and Algerian expertise abroad or through partnerships with friendly and allied countries.

Regarding agricultural mechanization:

- The President of the Republic has instructed the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries to ensure, as quickly as possible, optimal preparations for the harvest season, which is expected to be of high quality, given the favorable weather conditions for positive results.

- The President of the Republic reaffirmed the need to guarantee the necessary mechanization for farmers nationwide.

- Priority should be given to mechanization based on scientific and professional criteria, taking into account the cultivated area and production volumes.

- Adopt production quantities as the key indicator for the creation of provincial and regional cooperatives for mechanization and agricultural equipment, free from any form of administrative bureaucracy.

Regarding the construction of a desalination plant in the province of In Salah:

- The President of the Republic has instructed that future planning must take into account the forward-looking vision related to increasing population density and that the planned production volume for this plant, which will supply the population of the province of Tamanrasset with drinking water, be increased.

- Ensure the provision of the best possible services to citizens in terms of drinking water supply, given the diversification of sources of this vital resource, particularly the important role that seawater desalination plants now play at the national level in guaranteeing water security.

Before the close of the Council of Ministers meeting, the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the National Community Abroad, and African Affairs, presented a report on the recovery of embezzled funds. He reported that 33 letters rogatory had been sent to the Swiss Confederation, of which 20 had been examined and accepted. Four of these, related to embezzled and frozen funds, had been definitively processed to date.

Under these procedures, more than $110 million will be returned to Algeria.

Following the presentation, the President of the Republic expressed his gratitude to the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Spain for Algeria's recovery of the embezzled funds.

Furthermore, 61 letters rogatory sent to France in this context have remained unanswered. The meeting of the Council of Ministers concluded with the approval of individual decrees concerning appointments and terminations of duties in senior state positions.