APS : Monday, 19 September 2016
PARIS- Speaker of the Council of Nation (Upper House of Parliament) Abdelkader Bensalah has been received, Monday in Paris, by French President François Hollande, to whom he handed over a message from President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
The audience was attended by members of the Upper House and the ambassadors of the two countries.
In a statement to the press at the end of the audience, the Upper House’s Speaker said that the two sides emphasized the need to develop economic cooperation between the two countries and coordination in the fight against terrorism.
“I was honoured by the audience granted to me and the delegation accompanying me by President François Hollande, and I thank him for this honour. I handed over to him a written letter from his friend President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika,” said Bensalah.
“We have talked about radicalization in all countries around the world and the need to join efforts and information to eradicate the scourge, which is affecting peace and stability in our region,” he added.
Bensalah is on a two-day official visit to France, at the invitation of his French counterpart Gerard Larcher.
The Upper House’s Speaker co-chaired with his French counterpart the first Algerian-French High-Level Forum between the Council of the Nation and the French Senate. The Forum’s works are being held behind closed doors.
Bensalah’s visit to France follows that paid by French Senate’s Speaker to Algeria from 8 to 11 September 2015, and comes after the parliamentary and ministerial meetings between the representatives of the two countries, in Algeria and in France.
