- Title: ALGERIA: Libya and Algeria discuss border protection during meeting in Algiers
- Date: 17th April 2012
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (APRIL 15, 2012) (REUTERS) REPUBLICAN GUARDS IN FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ALGERIAN AND LIBYAN FLAGS HEAD OF NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL (NTC) MUSTAFA ABDEL JALIL AND ALGERIAN PRESIDENT ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA WALKING SIDE-BY-SIDE THE TWO LEADERS SHAKING HANDS VARIOUS OF THE TWO LEADERS JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF THE MEETING BETWEEN ABDELKADER MESSAHEL, MINISTER OF AFRICAN AND MAGHREB AFFAIRS AND SALEM MESSAOUD KENANE, LIBYAN NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL (NTC) MEMBER JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF THE TWO LEADERS REPUBLICAN GUARDS JALIL LISTENING TO THE QUESTION OF A JOURNALIST WHO ASKED HIM ABOUT THE FUTURE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN ALGERIA AND LIBYA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MUSTAFA ABDEL JALIL, HEAD OF LIBYA'S NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL (NTC), SAYING: "Today we discussed the critical issue of the Algeria-Libyan border and the possibility of protecting it in order to secure the safety of Libya and Algeria. The Algerian government is helping with this issue, given Libya is still within the stages of developing border and national guards. We also discussed the presence of Muammar (Gaddafi) loyalists in Algeria. We appreciate the humanitarian role Algeria played in harbouring families, particularly women and children, but we are confident Algeria will not embrace those who constitute a danger for Libya's security. We agreed that all those who pose a danger to Libya, whether through financing, conspiring or smuggling, will have no place in Algeria." TWO LEADERS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria, Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAD2GOGDG0U6NPPW17VP9XJT40H
- Story Text: The head of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdel Jalil, in Algiers for a two-day official visit, met Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday (April 16).
The two leaders held talks that officially focused on strengthening relations and bilateral co-operation between the neighbouring countries.
Algeria's relations with Libya were strained by the rebellion that overthrew Libya's former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, last year, disrupting security cooperation between the neighbours that Western states believe is crucial to combating al Qaeda in the Sahara desert.
Insurgents, including al Qaeda's North African branch and Tuareg separatists, use the Sahara desert's vast expanses and porous borders to smuggle weapons and evade capture.
The problem has grown worse since the conflict in Libya, because huge quantities of weapons disappeared from Gaddafi's arsenals and Libyan border security largely collapsed.
Before the conflict, Libya and Algeria exchanged intelligence on insurgents and cooperated over border security, but this ground to a halt after their row.
Jalil told reporters after his meeting with Bouteflika that border issues were the main topic of their discussions.
"Today we discussed the critical issue of the Algeria-Libyan border and the possibility of protecting it in order to secure the safety of Libya and Algeria. The Algerian government is helping with this issue, given Libya is still within the stages of developing border and national guards," Jalil said.
The decision to allow Gaddafi's daughter, wife and two of his sons to enter Algeria after they fled their homes last year deepened a row that had already been simmering over Libyan allegations Algeria had been too slow to back the revolt.
Algeria has tried to reassure Libya that it took in members of Muammar Gaddafi's family on humanitarian grounds and that they would not be allowed to meddle in Libyan affairs.
"We appreciate the humanitarian role Algeria played in harbouring families, particularly women and children, but we are confident Algeria will not embrace those who constitute a danger for Libya's security. We agreed that all those who pose a danger to Libya, whether through financing, conspiring or smuggling, will have no place in Algeria," Jalil said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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