ALGIERS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and Russia on Thursday vowed to boost bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic sector, during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the North African nation.
Lavrov hailed the cooperation between Algeria and Russia, saying that the next session of the Algerian-Russian Joint Economic Commission will be held in Algiers, as it will be an occasion to examine available partnership opportunities to further strengthen bilateral relations.
He said his talks with his Algerian counterpart Abdelkader Messahel were fruitful.
"We exchanged views on the state of bilateral relations, and we agreed to coordinate our efforts and actions in the field of energy, including in Gas Exporting Countries Forum," he said.
"We have outlined concrete ways on how to implement the objectives that were set in the Joint Declaration of Strategic Partnership signed between the two countries in 2001," he explained.
He further specified that trade exchange between Algeria and Russia has already exceeded the level of 4.5 billion U.S. dollars, noting that the two countries are considering to take more decision to boost investment and ultimately raise this figure.
"These new decisions will be discussed during the next session of the Joint Algerian-Russian Economic Commission due in Moscow from Jan. 28 to 30, 2019," he added.
According to the Russian foreign minister, "a lot of Russian companies are already working in Algeria and others want to join them."
For his part, Messahel noted that "bilateral relations are characterized by dynamic trend, which is reflected through the mass exchanges of delegations at all the levels."
Messahel stressed the willingness of both countries to increase trade and investment, stressing the importance of "strengthening the dialogue on energy issues," particularly with regard to price and market stability.
The talks between the two sides were also an opportunity to discuss the situation in nations, including in Mali, Libya, Yemen and Syria, in addition to counterterrorism cooperation.
Messahel noted in this regard that the two nations share convergence of views, as they both support political solutions and peaceful settlements of conflicts within respect of international law and principles of the United Nations Charter, including the right of peoples to self-determination without any foreign interference.
The two nations are also set to discuss ways of easing the visa regime. The two nations signed an intergovernmental agreement on the cancellation of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
Lavrov arrived late on Wednesday to Algeria. He is set to leave Algeria late on Thursday to visit Tunisia and Morocco.
