On February 19, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Foreign Minister of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Abdelkader  Messahel who is in Moscow on a working visit.

The officials discussed a set of current bilateral issues in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding traditional for Russian-Algerian relations. The ministers noted with approval the dynamic and trustful character of the political dialogue at all levels, which serves as an important instrument in implementing the goals and objectives of the Russian-Algerian Strategic Partnership Declaration signed in April 2001.

In this context, the ministers closely considered the status of implementing the agreements reached during Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Algeria in October 2017. The key role in this respect belongs to the Mixed Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, the eighth meeting of which took place in Algeria on September 20, 2017.

The officials also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest. Due to the continuing crisis in Syria, the ministers stressed Russia’s and Algeria’s unchanging commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, emphasised the lack of alternative to a political settlement through an inclusive intra-Syrian dialogue on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They also noted the importance of the results achieved by the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi on January 30, 2018.

The ministers evaluated the status of the Middle Eastern settlement process and the situation in the Sahara-Sahel Region including Mali, and confirmed Russia’s and Algeria’s determination to further cooperate in these areas, including through consolidating efforts in an uncompromising struggle against international terrorism.

At the end of the talks, the ministers signed an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on mutual cancellation of visa requirements for diplomatic or official passport holders.