Belkhadem to attend Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum

Algerian Minister of State and personal representative of the President of the Republic Abdelaziz Belkhadem is expected to attend a ministerial meeting under the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum due to be held in Istanbul Saturday, Algeria News Agency (APS) reported today.

• Assigned by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Belkhadem will head the Algerian delegation during the proceedings, said APS citing a statement from the Minister of State’s office.
• “The meeting will discuss ways to promote and reinforce cooperation between Arab countries and Turkey in political, economic, social and cultural fields,” the statement said.
• “The meeting will work on crystallising a common position on a set of regional and international issues including the Palestinian cause,” it added.
• Counterterrorism and dialogue of civilizations will be tackled as well.
•   The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from Turkey, Syria, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia.
• The Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum was established in Istanbul in November 2007 following an agreement signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
• Bouteflika was the first Algerian president to visit Turkey in February 2005. The Turkish Foreign Minister and his Premier visited Algeria later.
• They signed a Friendship and Cooperation Agreement with Algerian counterparts. 
• Algerian Turkish trade volume rose to $3 billion from $1.3 billion in 2004.