Russian leader calls for stronger cooperation with Algeria

ALGIERS October 7 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met
with parliament leaders and the prime minister of Algeria on Wednesday,
October 6.
The President of the Council of the Nation, Abdelkhader Bensalah,
thanked Medvedev for the visit and said it would help develop bilateral
relations further.
Medvedev stressed that meetings between the leaders of the two
countries were an important element of good bilateral relations. "An
essential element of our relationship is inter-parliamentary ties. We are
ready to develop them further," he said.
The Russian leader also met with National People's Assembly President
Abdelaziz Ziari who noted that friendly ties between the two countries had
gone through "the most dramatic periods of history".
"The Russian people has always supported our national liberation
struggle, and we have always found the most lasting, consistent and
decisive support in Russia," Ziari said, adding that political systems can
change, but peoples remain.
Ziari recalled his recent visit to Russia at the invitation of State
Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov and to Medvedev's native city of St. Petersburg
where he had met with St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko. "It
was a good opportunity to strengthen our parliamentary ties," he said.
Medvedev said his current visit to Algeria would help facilitate not
only interstate but also inter-parliamentary relations.
"I understand that your delegation has visited Russia. And ours
probably should come to Algeria," Medvedev said. Ziari said he had invited
a Russian parliamentary delegation to come visit Algeria.
Medvedev said inter-parliamentary ties allowed the two sides to
exchange views on a wide range of issues pertaining to bilateral
cooperation, including international ones.
"All the more so because you and we are solving the same tasks, and
our economies have somewhat similar structures," he said.
He admitted that large reserves of hydrocarbons in the country are an
advantage, but on the other hand they also cause problems, which
necessitate the development of other sectors.
Medvedev stressed that much would depend on public regulation and the
laws that are adopted by the parliaments, and this "underscores the value
of the inter-parliamentary dialogue."
The Russian president also met with Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed
Ouyahia. The latter assured Medvedev that "the government of Algeria would
exert every effort in order to step up cooperation and implement and
specify the agreements that were reached with President Bouteflika during
this visit."
"I am confident that this visit will give an additional impetus to
cooperation and will certainly play an important role in the development
of economic ties and all sorts of business contacts," Medvedev said.
He also noted that the two countries have lately increased bilateral
trade turnover, but pointed out that the president of Algeria and he had
come to the conclusion that trade turnover "yet fails to match the
potential of the two countries."
"Investment cooperation is what needs to be intensified," the Russian
president said.
He stressed that Algeria and Russia were strategic partners and "all
projects that have ever been implemented in Algeria or can be implemented
should provide the basis for our cooperation."
Medvedev said he had brought with him a big delegation of businessmen
representing some 100 companies. "They are ready to develop economic ties
with Algeria," he said.