Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna visited Algiers, Algeria, at the invitation of the Algerian Minister of Finance, the World Bank and the Arab Monetary Fund, to address a High-level Regional Conference tackling the issues of ‘Youth, Technology and Finance’. The two-day regional conference brought together entrepreneurs from around the globe, renowned academicians, and senior policymakers.

The minister held a number of meetings on the fringes of the conference, which included meetings with Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and with Minister of Finance Abderrahmane Raouya. Meetings were also held with Vice-President of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa Hafez Ghanem, Chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund Abdulrahman Al Hamidy, Governor of the Bank of Algeria Mohamed Loukal, and Chairperson of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India R.S. Sharma. Additionally, Minister Scicluna also met with the Central Bank governors of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.

PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY FOR FINANCE

During these meetings, Malta’s successful reforms resulting in achieving high economic growth rates as well as its role in the development of the MENA countries were underlined as a successful EU member state.

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Minister Scicluna also participated in the Ministers’ Closing Round Table of the conference. During his intervention, the minister stated that, “MENA countries serious about launching a new economy in their respective countries need to first remove the obvious bureaucratic hurdles in the way of enthusiastic and energetic youth rearing to go forward in a new technological era”.

Maltese Ambassador for Algeria Philo Meli accompanied Minister Scicluna throughout this visit.

-28th March, 2018