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Russia, Algeria shows solidarity over events in Syria & Mali

Russia and Algeria had agreed to develop close cooperation in the military sphere as well as humanitarian, cultural, educational and scientific exchanges

ALGIERS, February 12 (Itar-Tass) – Russia and Algeria have expressed solidarity over recent events in the Middle East, Northern Africa, Mali and other regional states.

“We approach the events unfolding in Syria, Mali and other regional states from position of solidarity,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday after talks with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

”At the reception given by the president of Algeria we confirmed full convergence of views on how to push forward the reform of the international system in terms of ensuring the supremacy of law, the central role of the United Nations and its Security Council and the need to settle conflicts exclusively by diplomatic means without interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states,” Lavrov emphasized.

“We confirmed out common determination to deepen cooperation at all levels, including a political dialogue and cultural and humanitarian cooperation; and coordinate our actions in the international arena, including problems of the African continent,” the Russian foreign minister went on to say.

“Algeria is one of our leading trading partners in Africa. The trade turnover is constantly growing. We are pinning more serious hopes on the forthcoming session of the inter-governmental commission for trade and economic cooperation,” Lavrov said. He added that Russia and Algeria had agreed to develop close cooperation in the military sphere as well as humanitarian, cultural, educational and scientific exchanges.

After ending his visit to Algeria on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will head for South Africa to meet his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

The talks in Pretoria will focus on preparations for the BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Durban on March 26-2. It’s going to be the first meeting of the BRICS leaders in the African continent, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its previous reports.

“We consider partnership within the BRICS group to be a powerful stimulus to building up cooperation between Russia and South Africa in which the task of developing practical interaction in the economic, scientific-technological, innovative, educational and cultural spheres are coming to the forefront more and more often. Russia’s participation in the BRICS group is a priority of our foreign policy,” the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

Besides, the Russian and South African foreign ministers will discuss the situations in Syria, the Sahara-Sahel region, in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and other trouble spots.

The same day, Lavrov will travel to Mozambique to meet the country’s leadership, including Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi.

“This will be the first visit by the Russian foreign minister to Mozambique over the entire history of our relations with this country,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed. The agenda is expected to be dominated by questions linked to the state and prospects of trade, economic and investment cooperation, primarily in the oil & gas sector, as well as expansion of mutually beneficial ties in other spheres.