Between February 18-19, Foreign Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Abdelkader Messahel is to visit Moscow at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit of the Foreign Minister of friendly Algeria will take place in the context of a trustful political dialogue and stronger mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation under the Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in April 2001.

Mr Messahel will hold talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and will also have meetings with officials at the Security Council as well as the State Duma.

During the Moscow visit, the parties will have an in-depth exchange of opinions on topical international and regional matters. For example, there are plans to discuss the situation in North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel region, the situation in Libya and Syria, the Middle East peace settlement and other topics of mutual interest.

The Foreign Ministers will discuss in detail the state and prospects of further expanding Russian-Algerian trade and economic cooperation. The sides have done a lot to ensure a more effective bilateral partnership in the fuel and energy sector, including within the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. At the same time, there are substantial untapped reserves for diversifying bilateral ties as well as filling them with new content.

Algeria ranks among Russia’s main trade and economic partners in Africa and the Arab world. Between January-October 2017, the volume of bilateral trade totaled $3.288 billion.

The Mixed Intergovernmental Russian-Algerian Commission for Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation whose members held the Commission’s eighth meeting in Algiers in September 2017 plays a key role in invigorated business contacts. At that time, Commission members coordinated a detailed action plan in various areas the implementation of which is expected to produce additional beneficial results and help to improve the efficiency as well as the quality of cooperation between both countries’ economic operators.

Russia and Algeria have similar or coinciding positions on most key foreign policy issues. Both countries advocate stability and a balance of interests in international relations, the UN’s stronger central role and respect for fundamental norms and principles of international law, including the right of nations to independently determine their destiny without any outside interference.