Top EU official visits Algeria to boost partnership

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini kicked off a two-day visit to Algeria late on Saturday to boost bilateral partnership.

Upon arrival at the airport, Mogherini, who is also the vice-president of the European Commission, told reporters that she is very satisfied with the level of partnership between Algeria and the EU.

"I am extremely satisfied with the deep, intense and very positive partnership we managed to build over the past years," she said, adding that her visit aimed at further intensifying the partnership between the two sides.

"This is my second visit to Algeria since the beginning of my term," she said, adding that she met with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra a few weeks ago in Brussels on the sidelines of the Algeria-EU Association Council bound by a twelve-year-long association agreement.

Mogherini is due to hold talks with top Algerian officials to assess bilateral cooperation and discuss regional situation as well as some international issues of common interest.

During the 10th EU-Algeria Association Council meeting on March 13, the two parties adopted partnership priorities in a bid to give their cooperation new impetus amid new emerging challenges.

Algeria has been calling on the EU to review what it believes an unbalanced association agreement inked in September 2005, as its non-oil exports to the European bloc did not exceed 14 billion U.S. dollars in 10 years, while its imports from the bloc hit 220 billion dollars. Endit