ALGIERS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Algeria are implementing partnership projects worth 233 million U.S. dollars, said a visiting European commissioner on Friday.
The projects aim to support the diversification of the Algerian economy, said Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Expansion Negotiations, at the end of his three-day visit to the North African nation.
The EU will continue supporting Algeria's efforts to "diversify" its economy and improve the business climate, said Hahn.
He noted that the EU is a "key" partner to Algeria in the process, adding that the 18 projects include fields of agriculture, fishing and renewable energy.
The European official has proposed a high-level economic dialogue with Algeria, Hahn said, to discuss facilitating the access of non-oil exports to Europe, in which small and medium enterprises and industries would get assistance to meet the EU standards.
The EU commissioner also invited Algeria to join partnership research and innovation projects in the Mediterranean region.
He added that the two sides are expected to sign an agreement, which will ratify Algeria's access to the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Region by the end of 2017.
The two parties adopted joint partnership priorities during the 10th EU-Algeria Association Council held in March, in a bid to give new impetus to the bilateral partnership amid emerging challenges.
