Algerian Foreign Ministry responds to “inaccurate” American statement on religious freedom in Algeria

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf expressed his deep regret for the “false and inaccurate information about Algeria” contained in the recent statement by the US Secretary of State on religious freedom.
This came during the telephone conversation between Ahmed Attaf and his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, according to a statement from the ministry.
In his conversation with Blinken, Mr. Attaf considered that the US Secretary of State’s statement “ignores the efforts made by Algeria to consolidate the principle of freedom of religious belief and practice.
Mr. Attaf also referred to “the dialogue initiated by our country with the United States in this regard. And he expressed on more than one occasion his “readiness to receive the American Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
Mr. Attaf said that this ambassador could “shed light on the facts and on Algeria’s real commitment to upholding the principle of freedom of belief in accordance with its relevant international obligations,” the ministry’s statement added.