Move aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, parliament says
The Algerian parliament has announced the formation of a parliamentary committee for friendship with Turkey.
In a statement on Tuesday, the People's National Assembly, the lower house of the Algerian parliament, said the friendship committee was formed “under the auspices of the Chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Mohamed Hani and Turkish ambassador to Algeria, Mahinur Goktas" with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
It added that the committee will be chaired by lawmaker Masoud Kasri.
Quoting Kasri, the statement said the committee is keen to “open new horizons for cooperation with Turkey, with the aim of activating parliamentary diplomacy through the exchange of visits and experiences and the establishment of continuous dialogue.”
Meanwhile, Hani praised the "historical relations and interests that unite the two countries and peoples," noting the need to strengthen them, especially at the economic level.
For her part, Goktas expressed satisfaction with the initiative underlining the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the economy, culture and others.
Algerian-Turkish relations date back to the Ottoman era (1518-1830). Turkey has invested about $5 billion in Algeria, with the trade volume between the two countries surpassing $3.5 billion, according to official Algerian statistics.
*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar
