Upper House of Parliament: Algeria-Russia parliamentary friendship group set up in Algiers

By: Hana Saada

ALGIERS– The Algeria-Russia parliamentary friendship group was set up, on Wednesday, between Algeria’s Council of the Nation and the Federal Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, indicated a press release from the Council of the Nation.

Charged by the Speaker of the Council of the Nation, Mr. Salah Goudjil, the Vice-Speaker of the Council of the Nation, Abdenacer Hamoud presided over the installation ceremony of this group in the company of the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission, the International Cooperation and the National Community Abroad, Omar Dadi Addoune, in the presence of the Director of Eastern Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Mr. Toufik Djouama as well as the Russian Ambassador in Algeria, Valerian Shuvaev, specified the press release.

The Algeria-Russia parliamentary group will work to “consolidate the relations of cooperation, consultation and coordination between the two Councils within the framework of an effective parliamentary diplomacy which accompanies the process of official diplomacy of consolidation of historical relations and strategic partnership binding Algeria and Russia on the instructions of the leaders of the two friendly countries”.

This parliamentary group is made up of sixteen members under the chairmanship of the chairman of the committee for education, training, higher education, scientific research and religious affairs at the Council of the Nation, Mohamed Boubekeur, vice – president of the group and member of the Council, Abdelhak Benboulaid and the rapporteur of the group and senator, Bachir Ould Zemirli.

Speaking on this occasion, Senator M. Abdenacer Hamoud affirmed that the installation of this group “is an important step in the strengthening of Algerian-Russian relations, two friendly countries, at the parliamentary level through the development of cooperation between the representatives of the Algerian and Russian peoples”.

The leader of the parliamentary group also praised “the deep cooperation established between the two countries in various fields, and the privileged relationship uniting them since the National Liberation War”.

For his part, the Russian ambassador to Algeria considered that this important event “intervenes to consolidate relations between the parliamentary institutions of the two countries, and to contribute effectively to friendly and strategic relations in all areas”.

The installation of this group coincides with the visit of the President of the Federal Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko, to Algeria.