UK State Minister visits Algeria

British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammel is expected to pay a two-day-working visit to Algeria as part of bilateral talks, Algerian Foreign Minister Sunday said in a statement.

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• “Rammel and Algeria’s Delegate Minister of Maghrebin and African affairs Abdelkader Mesahel will head a meeting of the Algerian-British Bilateral Committee’s third session,” said the statement.
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• The Bilateral Committee was established in 2006 after memorandum of understanding was signed by Algeria and the UK in 2006.
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• “Algerian and British officials will deal with the situation of bilateral cooperation,” FM ministry said.
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• It added that the two ministers would hold talks on regional and international issues of common interest.
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• Algeria and the UK signed four treaties on judicial co-operation during the visit of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the European country in July 2007. The treaties covered Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Judicial Co-operation in Civil and Commercial Matters, and the Readmission and Circulation of Persons.
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• A large number of British companies operate in Algeria including BP, Shell and British Gas.