MOSCOW, October 23 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and Algeria will search for new forms of military and military-technical cooperation, chief of Russia’s General Staff, First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov said.

At the talks with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Gaid-Salah on Wednesday, Gerasimov said Algeria was Russia’s ancient and reliable partner.

“Our cooperation has a rich history. We value friendly relations with the country and we have all conditions for further strengthening them,” the Russian General said, adding, “The level of Russian-Algerian military and military-technical interaction proves this.”

Gerasimov said, “The search of new forms of cooperation will meet our interests.”

He informed the Algerian colleague about the processes in the Russian Armed Forces and urged him to exchange views on the state of and prospects for cooperation between the two countries.

Gerasimov said it was necessary to discuss key international and regional security, synchronise positions on the situation in the Sahara Saleh region, in the Middle East and North Africa. “Moreover, international relations are rather tense and we should be ready for an adequate reaction to new challenges and threats,” the chief of Russia’s General Staff said.

Gaid-Saleh described relations with Russia as “excellent”. “Our friendly relations and military-technical cooperation develop permanently and they can reach the level of strategic partnership in compliance with the agreement reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Algeria in 2006,” the Algerian General said.

He pointed to special relationship, which “is based on mutual interests and solidarity”.

During the visit, the Algerian General is planning to have talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and attend several defense industry enterprises.