ALGERIA: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says Paris is to strengthen ties with Algeria

Record ID: 573532

  • Title: ALGERIA: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says Paris is to strengthen ties with Algeria
  • Date: 17th June 2011
  • Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (JUNE 16, 2011) (REUTERS) PHOTOGRAPHERS/FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, ALAIN JUPPE GETTING OUT OF CAR AND BEING WELCOMED BY ALGERIAN PRESIDENT, ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA VARIOUS OF JUPPE MEETING WITH BOUTEFLIKA JUPPE AND BOUTEFLIKA SHAKING HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, ALAIN JUPPE, SAYING: "We are at a time of close relations between France and Algeria so we are strengthening them. I offered to the president to continue Mr. Raffarin's [Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin] mission especially the work on economic dossiers. Mr. Bouteflika gave me his agreement. We also talked about all the big regional files, numerous as you know - Libya of course - but also what we call the "Arab Spring" in Tunisia, Egypt, the relations with Morocco. And I presented the French initiative to relaunch the peace process in the Middle East. We had in depth discussions on all of those subjects and I would like to warmly thanks the president for his hospitality." JUPPE AND BOUTEFLIKA, FRENCH AND ALGERIAN OFFICIALS SHAKING HANDS AND SAYING GOODBYE FRENCH CAR LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria, Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB5DAO4ZON64KLDZLJPSUKCLEK
  • Story Text: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe met with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algiers on Thursday (June 16) to discuss strengthening ties between France and its former colony.
    "We are at a time of close relations between France and Algeria so we are strengthening them," Juppe told reporters after the meeting.
    Among the topics the pair discussed was the economic element of the Franco-Algerian forum of late May which was attended by over 600 companies at the close of the mission of former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
    "I offered to the President to continue Mr. Raffarin's mission especially the work on economic dossiers. Mr. Bouteflika gave me his agreement," Juppe said.
    "We also talked about all the big regional files, numerous as you know - Libya of course - but also what we call the "Arab Spring" in Tunisia, Egypt, the relations with Morocco. And I presented the French initiative to relaunch the peace process in the Middle East," he added.
    Algiers has been highly critical of the NATO mission in Libya, which Paris has been at the forefront of, but has accepted the resolution 1973 of the Security Council authorising the use of force to protect the Libyan population.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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