Minister Abdelouhab Nouri (R)

Minister of Water Resources and Environment Abdelouhab Nouri and South Korean Minister of Territory, Infrastructures and Transports Yoo Li-Ho examined Thursday in Algiers means to strengthen cooperation in the sector of water.

During the working meeting, Nouri presented to his South Korean guest the major achievements in the field of drinking water supply and sanitation.

The minister said that public authorities' investments in the sector since 2000 have totalled US$ 50 billion, citing the major water transfer projects of In Salah-Tamanrasset and Mostaganem-Arzew-Oran, as well as the 13 seawater desalination plants which have a total treatment capacity of 2.3 million cubic metres per day.

Algeria has currently 156 wastewater treatment plants, and 10 others under construction, he added.

Nouri expressed hope that South Korean companies would strengthen their presence in Algeria and would get further involved in projects relating to water transfer in High Plateaux and the expansion of irrigated areas.

For his part, the South Korean minister expressed the readiness of his country to strengthen cooperation with Algeria in the sector of water resources.