Minister of Industry and Mines, Abdessalem Bouchouareb said in Algeirs Tuesday that five new industrial projects of partnership are being negotiated between Algeria and France.

The main project concerns a phosphate plant which will be based in Oued El Kebrit, (Tebessa) and specializes in the production of phosphoric acids and fertilizers, Bouchouareb told a news conference following meeting with the Special Representative for the Algerian-French relations Jean Louis Bianco.

The final agreement on this project, which will be achieved in partnership with Roullier Group, was concluded during the meeting, said the minister.

The second project, which should associate the national public industrial group of metallurgical industries "iMetal" and French Group "Air Liquide", consists in creating a joint venture to produce industrial gases and supply El Hadjar steel plant (Annaba) and Bellara steel complex (Jijel) with them.

The Peugeot car assembly plant which is the third project discussed, is "progressing well" with the Algerian and French partners and is expected to be achieved soon.

A part of the plant's production will be destined to export, affirmed the minister.

The project of the Cital plant for the assembly and maintenance of trams, inaugurated last May, will be expanded to export.

This plant is the result of a partnership between the Company of the Railway Equipment Construction (Ferrovial), the Algiers Metro Company (EMA) and the French company Alstom.

The creation of a cheese production plant, which will export a share of the production, is one of the planned projects.

"The meeting was an opportunity to evaluate the different joint projects and add new structuring projects which are part of the country's economic policy and industrial strategy," said Bouchouareb, calling France an important partner.