Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson has been urged to press for improved human rights during his current trade mission to Algeria.

The energy minister is currently leading a trade mission to the north African country in a bid to boost business links.

But human rights campaigners have called on him to raise issues such as continuing "disappearances" when he meets with president Bouteflika and prime minister Benflis.

The Department for Trade and Industry said talks between the minister and the Algerian government would be "wide ranging", but energy is likely to top the agenda.

The visit is the UK's first commercial mission to Algeria for more than a decade, and the mission includes representatives of more than 20 companies, largely in the energysector.

"There are many areas of common interest at present between the UK and Algeria. These are both commercial and political, including a strong mutual commitment to addressing the threat from terrorism," said Wilson.

He also highlighted Algeria's oil and gas production, on which the UK and the rest of Europe is set to increasingly rely.

"It is important for the UK to maintain close links and to ensure that the terms of supply are beneficial in meeting Algeria's own needs," the minister said.

Amnesty International (AI) called on the British government to use those links to push for better observance of human rights norms.

The campaign group said the Foreign Office had already made progress in pushing for improved human rights in the country

"It would be very good indeed if he could continue the dialogue work between the UK government and the Algerian government in trying to press home this concern that our government rightly has about human rights in Algeria, particularly this long standing issue of disappearances," spokesman Neil Durkin told ePolitix.com.

He warned that while the situation in Algeria was out of the media spotlight, it remained "critically serious".

The monthly death toll in fighting between government forces and armed opposition groups - fighting that can result in the death of civilians - is running at around 200 per month, he said.

"It is a hidden serious human rights problem in Algeria and if Brian Wilson is able, even during a trade delegation visit, to raise this issue once again it has got to be important," said Durkin.

"We'd like to see him once again urging his counterparts in Algeria to grant access to United Nations human rights experts."

He called for the minister to "ratchet up" dialogue on human rights, which Algeria has already agreed to in negotiations with the European Union.

"In the real world trade links are extremely important ones. They are riven with political considerations, it is a way of levering pressure on governments that do have poor human rights records."

The DTI indicated the visit would coincide with the start of a three-week visit to Algeria by AI, during which they could monitor progress on human rights issues.

"I welcome the fact that the Algerian government has facilitated this visit," said Wilson.