President Magel visits Ordre des Géomètres-Experts Fonciers in Algeria

Alger, Algeria, March 2-6, 2005

Only one week after his Rome meeting with one of the oldest FIG member associations, the Italian CNG, President Holger Magel visited one of the youngest FIG members, the Algerian OGEF, which joined FIG during the Regional Conference in Marrakech in December 2003. President Magel followed the invitation of OGEF President Ahmed Benaissa to encourage the Algerian colleagues for consequent commitments and increased contributions to FIG and its commissions. At his meeting with the Geometres in Oran and Algiers President Magel congratulated the representatives of OGEF for their decision of joining FIG. He expressed also his confidence, that being a member of the global surveyors community Algeria - after difficult political periods - now can participate in the global exchange of experiences and that OGEF now also can benefit of the widespread work of FIG.

President Magel further underlined in his different speeches and in his interviews with journalists very clearly the multiple advantages of FIG membership for an opening Algeria with more and more opened market. Due to current political goals Algeria, which has had and has a very strong militarian and state institution character also in the field of surveying, is shifting slightly to the private sector. As a result of this the OGEF is now partly participating in cadastre work. During his visits to Agence Nationale du Cadastre, Institut National de Cartographie et de Télédétection and of the Centre National de l’Information Géographique President Magel encouraged all responsible Director Generals to take care of a fair balance between public and private sector.

He welcomed the participation of the representatives of the national services to FIG conferences thus getting a precise overview of the “state of arts” and of cooperation between public and private sector around the world.

As a very positive result of Magels visit of the Centre National des Techniques Spatiales (CNTS) in Arzew near to Oran the Director of this unique national research and education centre for different courses and degrees in Geomatics, Geodesy, Remote Sensing and Satellite Positioning Dr. Mohamed Benmohamed promised to apply on behalf of his centre for FIG academic membership. In his conclusion remarks at the reception for members of OGEF in Algiers and Constantine President Magel thanked for the overwhelming hospitality and promised the support of FIG to OGEF in stabilizing a strong and open minded professional organization and in helping cooperating and networking with the international world of surveyors. He requested OGEF President Benaissa to come with his Board to the FIG Working Week in Cairo and possibly bringing with him some young inspired surveyors.