Tehran, February 09: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has emphasized on the expansion of relations with Iran, citing the significance of plans drawn up to bolster Tehran-Algiers ties.
“Plans which have been drawn up to further expand and promote ties between Iran and Algeria in the upcoming years are of vital importance,” IRIB website quoted the Algerian president as speaking in a three-hour meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Algiers on Tuesday.
He added that plans have been made within the framework of exchanging visits and consultations between Iranian and Algerian officials.
Bouteflika praised Iran’s relations with its neighbors and other countries in the region and emphasized that the Islamic Republic is keen to establish ties with regional states based on good-neighborliness.
The Iranian minister, for his part, said Tehran and Algiers enjoy identical views on regional and international issues.
“Algeria and its resistant nation, which has a history of fighting against tyranny, enjoy a special place in Iran and are respected by Muslim countries,” Salehi added.
The Iranian top official described as “fruitful and constructive” the outcome of his talks with senior Algerian officials, including his counterpart Mourad Medelci.
The Algerian president and Iran’s foreign minister also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East and Africa.
Many Arab and African countries, including Egypt and Tunisia, have been the scene of massive anti-government protests over the past month.
In crisis-hit Egypt, millions of protesters, along with opposition groups, are demanding the immediate ouster of embattled President Hosni Mubarak, vowing to continue their demonstrations until he steps down.
More than 300 people have been killed and thousands more injured since the beginning of the protests in Egypt on January 25, a movement that was inspired by Tunisia’s revolution earlier in the month.
In Tunisia, at least 219 people have been killed and some 510 injured during the revolution that led to the overthrow of the despotic Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali that ended his 23-year-old rule, according to the United Nations.
On January 14, Ben Ali fled the North African country to the Saudi port city of Jeddah.
Ben Ali’s regime has been accused of widespread corruption as his relatives controlled much of the business sector in the country. His wife is also accused of using government airplanes for personal desires, such as visiting European fashion capitals.
Anti-government protests, inspired by a wave of uprisings in the Arab world, have also been staged in Jordan, Yemen and the Ivory Coast.
Salehi wrapped up his official day-long visit to Algeria late on Tuesday and returned home on Wednesday. His trip took place within the framework of regular consultations between Iran and Algeria.
——–Agencies