ALGIERS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and Belgium pledged on Wednesday to further development bilateral ties in all fields.
Visiting Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders met on Wednesday with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, at the end of his two day visit, stressing importance of developing bilateral ties.
Reynders said he discussed with President Bouteflika ways and means to boost economic partnership and trade exchange, in addition to several issues of common interest, including security and counterterrorism, and the situation in the African continent.
Reynders, also Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, further added that cooperation between the African Union and the European Union was also on the agenda of the meeting.
Algeria, as a member in the AU, and Belgium, as a member at the EU, could provide together ideas and proposals to resolve conflicts and crisis hitting some countries in the region, he said.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyhaia and Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel.
The Belgian minister further noted that preventing religious radicalization and extremism was also on the agenda of his visit to Algeria.
In this regard, he recalled the meeting with Algerian Religious Affairs Minister, Mohamed Aissa, hailing the decision of Algeria to share its experience in terms of countering religious extremism.
He said Belgium is making every effort to prevent religious extremism, including sharing experiences and expertise with other nations, like Algeria, to promote a religious practice based on respect for host countries.
