Farewell Interview with H.E. Ambassador Salima Abdelhak, Ambassador of Algeria to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations based in The Hague
As Ambassador Salima Abdelhak concludes her mandate in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, she looks back on a rich diplomatic journey marked by strengthened bilateral relations, active multilateral engagement, and sustained efforts to consolidate Algeria’s standing as a credible, trusted, and forward-looking partner. In this farewell conversation, she reflects on the highlights of her tenure, the partnerships built, and the lasting ties she will carry forward.
Diplomat Magazine: Excellency, as you conclude your tenure in the Netherlands, could you share the personal and professional reflections that mark this moment?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: I leave The Netherlands with a profound sense of gratitude and fulfilment. It is never easy to conclude such an intense and meaningful chapter of one’s professional and personal life.
Entrusted with the confidence of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, I have over these years had the privilege not only to represent Algeria in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but also to engage closely with the eminent international organizations based in this unique city of peace and justice.
DM: When you first assumed your post, what were the key priorities you set for strengthening Algeria–Netherlands relations? In your view, which strategic objective has been at the heart of your diplomatic engagement?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: Beyond the traditional responsibilities of diplomacy, my objective was not merely to preserve the excellent relations existing between Algeria and the Netherlands within their formal diplomatic framework, but to elevate them into a more concrete, dynamic, and confidence-based partnership.
This required making Algeria better known, better understood, and more visible in the Netherlands.
Too often, bilateral relations can remain below their true potential simply because partners do not fully perceive the opportunities that exist. I therefore considered it essential not only to promote Algeria’s assets, but also to build trust — trust in Algeria as a stable interlocutor, trust in its economic potential, trust in its reform trajectory, and trust in its willingness to engage in pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation.
This required sustained dialogue, patient explanation, and regular interaction with Dutch institutions, business circles, and sectoral partners. My ambition was to help move the relationship from general goodwill to concrete confidence.
DM: Could you elaborate on how these priorities were implemented on a practical level?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: I worked actively to create structured encounters between Algerian and Dutch stakeholders so that cooperation could rest on direct knowledge rather than assumptions.
In this regard, I could facilitate strategic economic missions in both directions, notably with the Netherlands-African Business Council and the Netherlands MENA Business Council. We encouraged sectoral cooperation in agriculture, investment, tourism, renewable energy, water management, education, governance, and archives.
But more importantly, each of these initiatives served a broader diplomatic purpose, to present Algeria as a serious, reliable, and opportunity-rich partner with whom long-term cooperation makes sense.
I believe that, progressively, we succeeded in creating a climate of greater familiarity and confidence, which is the indispensable foundation for sustainable partnerships.
DM: To what extent did your work aim to reshape or deepen the understanding of Algeria in the Netherlands—whether in diplomatic, economic, or cultural terms?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: Very much so. Advocacy in diplomacy is not merely about presenting one’s country in positive terms; it is about ensuring that interlocutors gain a nuanced and realistic understanding of its transformations, ambitions, and capacities.
I devoted considerable effort to ensuring that Dutch partners saw Algeria not only through traditional lenses, but as a country engaged in modernization, regional responsibility, economic diversification, and international cooperation.
Creating this trust-based narrative was, in my view, one of the most important aspects of my mission. Once confidence is established, cooperation follows much more naturally.
DM: Cultural diplomacy also seems to have been an important dimension of your work.
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: Absolutely. Cultural diplomacy is one of the most effective ways to humanize bilateral relations. Through festivals, artistic initiatives, fashion projects, and public diplomacy events across the Netherlands, we sought to bring Algeria closer to Dutch society and to create familiarity beyond official circles.
This softer dimension of diplomacy is crucial because it nourishes sympathy, curiosity, and openness, all of which reinforce institutional trust.
DM: The Hague is also a major multilateral capital. How has this shaped your mission?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: The multilateral dimension has been one of the most intellectually stimulating aspects of this posting. The Hague hosts some of the most influential legal, judicial, and security institutions in the world, and Algeria has always attached great importance to principled engagement with them.
Throughout my mandate, I sought to reflect Algeria’s steadfast commitment to peace, dialogue, international law, and effective multilateralism. I worked closely with the various organizations based in The Hague on issues relating to security, notably within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, where Algeria remains an active partner contributing to international peace and security and to the universal goal of a world free of chemical weapons, a commitment that earned recognition through the distinction awarded to one of its laboratories by OPCW and the City of the Hague. I’ve also worked on sustainable development matters within the Comon Fund for commodities based in Amsterdam.
I was also proud to highlight Algeria’s active support for international legality through its participation in different legal and advisory proceedings, notably those touching upon matters of major international concern, including the state of Palestine. This engagement reflects Algeria’s conviction that multilateral institutions remain indispensable in an increasingly complex international environment. I also engaged on matters of justice and legal cooperation with the International Court of Justice and the HCCH – The Hague Conference on Private International Law and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (CPA).
DM: Finally, what message would you like to leave to your colleagues, partners, and the wider diplomatic community in The Hague?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: My first message is one of sincere gratitude for the valuable lesson of how to turn challenges into opportunities.
I am deeply thankful to the Dutch authorities, institutions, businesses, cultural actors, and friends who placed their confidence in dialogue with Algeria and who engaged openly with us and for the lessons drawn how to turn challenges into opportunities.
I am equally grateful to the leadership of the international organizations and colleagues of the diplomatic corps for the constructive spirit, collegiality, and friendship that have accompanied this mission.
I also wish to express a special word of appreciation to Diplomat Magazine, which has accompanied me since the very beginning of my mandate with remarkable professionalism, constant interest, and generous visibility. Through its quality reporting and sustained engagement with the diplomatic community, the magazine has served as a valuable platform for dialogue, outreach, and mutual understanding. I am sincerely grateful for this faithful companionship throughout my years in The Hague.
I leave convinced that we have not merely organized activities or meetings; we have contributed to strengthening an atmosphere of trust and to anchoring Algeria more firmly as a credible and reliable partner in this country.
This is perhaps the most meaningful legacy a diplomatic mission can hope to leave behind.
DM: One final word, Excellency?
Ambassador Salima Abdelhak: Diplomatic mandates come to an end, but trust, once built sincerely, continues to bear fruit.
As I return to Algeria, I do so with pride in the bridges I have consolidated, with gratitude for the friendships forged, and with the firm intention of continuing to advocate for deeper cooperation between Algeria, the Netherlands, and the international institutions based in The Hague.
My Gratitude goes to the many Excellencies, colleagues, partners, and friends with whom I have shared this journey. Whether we worked together for several years or crossed paths only recently, each encounter has contributed to making this mission deeply enriching. Diplomacy is built not only on institutions and negotiations, but also on trust, continuity, and human connection.
Photographs taken on the occasion of the Ambassador’s farewell audience with King Willem-Alexander.
