APS : Thursday, 19 January 2017
ALGIERS- The Embassy of the United States of America in Algeria will organize a luncheon to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Algiers Accords, under which the American diplomats held hostage in Iran were
released, and renew “gratitude of the U.S. government and the American people,” said Thursday the US Embassy in a press release.
The United States “remains profoundly grateful to Algeria for its mediation efforts that led to the release of 52 American diplomats held hostage in Iran,” said the statement, adding that US Ambassador to Algeria Joan A. Polaschik “will host a luncheon at Villa Montfeld in honour of the Algerian diplomats who helped negotiate the agreement.”
On 4 November 1979, the American Embassy in Tehran was occupied by protestors, triggering the Tehran hostage crisis. In 1980-1981, Algeria mediated the crisis, said the press release.
US former Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher shuttled between Algeria and Washington and finally reached a deal under which the hostages would be released in return for an unfreezing of Iranian assets and a lifting of sanctions, added the statement.
The signing of the Algiers Accords on 19 January 1981 by Deputy Secretary Christopher and Algeria’s former Foreign Minister Mohammed Seddik Benyahia led to the release of the hostages and their arrival in Algiers on 20 January 1981.
