Lamamra: “Our Relationship With Russia is Strategical”

Algerian-Russian relationships are “positive” and “Can be Strengthened and deepened”, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, described on Monday, during Sergueï Viktorovitch Lavrov’s visit to Algeria.

“This is Lavrov’s fourth visit to Algeria and it is timely in order to enhance the bilateral cooperation between Algeria and Russia, with the various elements of the strategic partnership that the two countries’ Presidents already wished to realize on the ground.”

“The two countries achieved a lot on the trail of building a bilateral partnership in various fields. We should expand this partnership and take into consideration the requirements of the Algerian economy, and the potential of the Russian economy in the various fields.”

“Meeting with Russia FM is an opportunity to review a number of international issues, in which Algeria plays a key role to find a peaceful and political solutions, and those in which Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, plays a prominent role in order to find peaceful solutions, creating the adequate political climate to solve these problems.”

“Both sides review a number of issues, waiting for the meetings that are scheduled during this visit, and which are expected to include the latest developments in Western Sahara, Libya, Mali, the Sahel region, Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Yemen, and the subject of international terrorism, and a lot of issues of mutual interest.”

In response to a question about the Algerian-Russian and the Algerian-European cooperation to resolve conflicts, especially in the Sahel region and North Africa, Mr. Lamamra said that the main point of reference for resolving disputes is international law, recalling that Algeria’s principles are the “non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and seeking to find political solutions, by building a consensus to meet the aspirations of the concerned countries’ peoples on the one hand, and isolate the scourge of terrorism and other criminal groups that are engaged in criminal activities on the other hand.”

“We have a dialogue with the European Union, and we are working in the same direction with our Russian friends, to work on finding just solutions to the various issues.”

Previously, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, begun, on Monday, a working visit to Algeria at the invitation of Mr. Lamamra.