Algerian president visits Iran
Published: Monday, August 11, 2008
ALGERIA – IRAN – VISITS
23:19GMT—7:19PM/EST
Washington, 10 August (IranVNC)—Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and four Algerian ministers arrived in Tehran yesterday on a three-day official visit to hold talks with their Iranian counterparts.
During a two-day visit to Algeria last year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited his Algerian counterpart to travel to Iran. This is Bouteflika’s second visit to the Islamic Republic.
During his visit, Bouteflika will hold talks “regarding bilateral relations, and world economic and political issues,” the official IRNA news agency reports.
Iran's Ambassador to Algeria, Hussein Abdi, was quoted by the newspaper, Iran, as saying that Iran and Algeria would discuss an OPEC style consortium for gas exporting countries, an idea Bouteflika backed last year.
Iran and Algeria broke diplomatic relations in 1993 following Algerian accusations that Iran backed the main Islamist Algerian opposition group, the Islamic Salvation Front. In September 2000, the two countries reestablished relations, following a meeting between former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami and Bouteflika at the sidelines of the UN Millennium Summit. Last year Iran opened an auto plant in Algeria.
Prior to the 1979 revolution, Algeria played a significant role in mediating the maritime border dispute, between Iran and Iraq, involving Arvand Roud [Shatt al-Arab]. Algeria’s role was also instrumental in negotiating the release of the American hostages in Iran in 1981.
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency in Persian
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(Original article written in Persian.)