Egypt Fm To Start Visit To Algeria Thursday

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri is expected to arrive in Algeria on Thursday for talks with the country's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra on bilateral relations and the situation in Libya, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.



It added in a statement that Shoukri would be visiting the North African state upon invitation from Lamamra.



"The visit will be a chance for the two sides to exchange views on a wide range of Arab, regional and international issues of mutual concern," the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.



It added that the talks would particularly dwell on developments on the Libyan stage.



The Foreign Ministry noted that the visit of the Egyptian top diplomat to Algeria would also be an opportunity for Egypt and Algeria to assess the results of bilateral cooperation as well as prepare for the next session of the joint Algerian-Egyptian Committee, which is chaired by the prime ministers of both countries.



The statement did not, however, mention the period Shoukri will spend in Algeria.



A few days ago, Lamamra denied Arab media reports about the presence of differences with Egypt over the situation in Libya.   



"There are consultations and coordination between Algeria and Egypt, not differences in the full sense of the word," Lamamra said during a press conference in Algiers on October 14.



A Libyan source in Cairo, meanwhile, told Anadolu Agency that preparations were being made in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk for a visit on Thursday by Lamamra.



The source, who asked not to be named, added that Lamamra was expected to meet in Tobruk with some members of the House of Representatives, some government ministers as well as Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Dairi.



The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has not issued confirmation about Shoukri's visit to Algeria yet. It is not clear whether Lamamra will visit Tobruk before meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister either.



Since it slid into chaos in 2011 after the downfall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime, Libya has been a pain in the head for its neighboring countries, especially Algeria and Egypt.



The oil-rich country has turned into an open battleground between various militias, but a few months ago the fledgling national army started its own battle against these militias in a desperate bid to control the security situation there.



By Abderrazek Ben Abdullah



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Alger