Bouteflika: we are still concerned about the situation in Syria

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika expressed his hope that Syrian dialogue rounds in Geneva would come up with a solution for the crisis. In a telegram sent to his Syrian counterpart Bachar Al Assad, he addressed to him as the “dear brother.”

President Bouteflika showed interest in the situation in Syria and wrote to Al Assad on the Independence Day.

“I seize this opportunity to express our interest and concern about the situation in our sister country Syria. We hope that Syrian dialogue round in Geneva would come up with a solution for the crisis to preserve Syria’s integrity, stability and sovereignty. We also hope it would meet Brother Syrian people’s ambitions to reconstruct their country within solidarity,” said the letter.

Algeria is one the few Arab countries which have kept its diplomatic relations with the Al Assad regime since popular unrest broke out early in 2011. Although the situation was worsen, the Algerian ambassador to Damascus Salah Boucha did not quit and pleaded for his country’s position toward the crisis.

“Algeria’s position towards Syria has been constant and clear since the beginning of the crisis. It supported its integrity. What is happing is meant to weaken it. Algeria rejected international politicized resolutions to suspend Syria’s membership and interfere in its domestic affairs,” he told Syria news agency.

During the 2013 Doha Arab Summit, Algeria refused to grant Syria’s seat to the Syrian opposition coalition respresented in its chief Muad Al Khatib. 

Algeria were not “embarrassed” by the gap it caused with a number of Arab regimes. Last year, Syrian regime mufti Cheikh Badr Hassoune had been received in Algiers for a week. Syrian foreign minister Walid Al Muallem pais a visit to Algeria as well.