Home Culture Culture Algeria’s Ahmed Boutache kicks off National Press Club Embassy Night

Algeria’s Ahmed Boutache kicks off National Press Club Embassy Night

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Algeria’s Ahmed Boutache kicks off National Press Club Embassy Night
The National Press Club hosts its Embassy Night of 2022 on June 23 at the Algerian Embassy.

Ahmed Boutache, Algeria’s ambassador in Washington, headlined the National Press Club’s Embassy Night event on June 23 — the club’s first since before the pandemic began more than two years ago — along with 50 other ambassadors, press counselors and other diplomats.

The Embassy Night series aims to connect NPC member journalists with foreign press attachés and diplomats. This particular event, honoring Algeria’s 60th Independence Day on July 5, reflected on historically strong economic and diplomatic ties between the United States and Algeria, which at 919,000 square miles ranks as the largest country in Africa.

“Whether we celebrate July 4 or July 5, the core of any national day celebration is to reflect on our relationship and bilateral cooperation,” said Boutache. “I can assure you that our relations with the United States are excellent and promising.” 

The ambassador praised warm US-Algerian relations, especially continued strategy discussions, increased trade and investment, and an influx of resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Algerian Ambassador Ahmed Boutache speaks at the Embassy Night event.

“I can’t miss this occasion to renew our gratitude to the US government for the assistance it provided to my country during these hardship times, through donations of vaccines and a field hospital,” said Boutache, whose oil-exporting nation is home to 44 million people.

“Algeria has historically demonstrated remarkable resilience, stability and security,” he said. Algerian Ambassador Ahmed Boutache speaks at the Embassy Night event.

“I can’t miss this occasion to renew our gratitude to the US government for the assistance it provided to my country during these hardship times, through donations of vaccines and a field hospital,” said Boutache, whose oil-exporting nation is home to 44 million people.

Whatever we go through or however challenging our neighboring environment is, we look forward to building bridges between the Algerians and Americans at all levels, be it civil society, the private sector or governmental organizations, and more importantly, between people to enhance better mutual understanding and friendship.”

Boutache was joined by his wife, Fatima Boutache, as well as the current US ambassador to Algeria, Elizabeth Moore Aubin, and her predecessor, Cameron Hume. Algeria’s consul general in New York, Brahim Chennouf, was also in attendance.  

Historian and author John Kiser discussed his 2008 book, “Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader (1808-1883).” The work reflects on a 19th-century statesman who battled French colonialism while advocating for human rights; it’s now being made into a film with help from Kiser’s friend and colleague, Ron Maxwell.

“I have committed a good part of the last 20 years of my life to looking at Algeria through a particular lens,” Kiser said. “I’d never met a Muslim until I went to France, and I didn’t know anything about the faith and so I was very pleased to realize how simple it is: love God and love thy neighbor.”

Rafael Javadov, the music director of EthnoWorld Orchestra, entertained guests with a violin performance, while The Elms home to former President Lyndon B. Johnson and Perle Mesta, a former US ambassador to Luxembourgoffered guests a buffet of fish and beef entrees and desserts.

Prior to the pandemic, dozens of countries participated in the ICC’s Embassy Nights including Australia, Austria, Botswana, Canada, Cyprus, Iceland, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nepal, Portugal, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

The NPC’s International Correspondents Committee plans to host monthly or bi-monthly Embassy Nights. 

Aurora Abraham