German President Horst Koehler left Sunday for Algeria at the start of a week-long trip that will also take him to Mauritania and Malta, according to dpa. Economic Assistance Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul is accompanying the president, who is making his fourth visit to Africa. The two officials are due to take part in a partnership forum in Algiers on Monday between African states and the Group of Eight club of rich nations, of which Germany is the current president. The European Union is interested in forming a strategic partnership with Algeria, particularly in the energy sector. Algeria has vast reserves of natural gas, but has been under emergency rule since 1992 because of a threat posed by armed Islamist groups. Koehler also plans to use his trip to discuss what to do about the flood of African migrants heading to EU countries across the Mediterranean Sea. "You cannot hold back millions of young people, when all they experience ... in Africa is hunger and death," the president said in a recent speech. Koehler believes that African states should be encouraged to take on more responsibilities if they are given a better deal in trade with the European Union. In an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, Wieczorek-Zeul urged greater cooperation with North Africa, particularly in the energy sector. Renewable energy and energy efficiency were fields that involved a transfer of technology - something Africa often demanded, she said. The EU has already signed association agreements with Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. The next step is to create free trade zones to enable their economies to adjust to competition, she said.
