Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated Sunday that Iran approves of Algeria's regional policy since it promotes "peace and security."

On Sunday, high-ranking delegations from Iran and Algeria met in Algiers, led by Raisi and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

During the meeting, Raisi celebrated the Algerian government on the successful holding of the seventh summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), highlighting the two countries' good political relations as well as cultural and religious similarities, and emphasizing the importance of further improving economic and trade relations.

الرئيس عبد المجيد تبون يستقبل نظيره الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي بقصر المرادية- الرئاسة الجزائرية#الجزائر #إيران #طهران pic.twitter.com/nUaaTgYh11

— Sputnik Arabic (@sputnik_ar) March 3, 2024

During the meeting, Tebboune and Raisi discussed the regional situation, particularly the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, its humanitarian consequences, and its repercussions on security and peace in the Middle East. It was also agreed to intensify coordination and consultation on the Palestinian issue. 

The two parties also touched on bilateral relations between their countries and reviewed the most important developments in the African Sahel region and the Western Sahara issue, in addition to signing cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in many economic, cultural, and technological fields.

Raisi recognized Algeria as a leader in the battle against hegemony and colonialism, hoping that his visit would serve as a watershed moment, ushering in a new era of bilateral commercial and economic cooperation.

Iran and Algeria share views on various regional issues, particularly the fight against terrorism, Raisi believes, and hopes for stronger regional and international relations between the two countries.

The Iranian president also mentioned the exchange of experiences in many sectors of science and technology, energy, and petrochemicals with Algeria, and urged that the two nations collaborate on joint manufacture of goods, particularly in the knowledge-based sphere.

Tebboune, for his part, thanked Raisi for attending the GECF summit, as well as the agreements reached in a private meeting with Raisi to expand commercial, economic, and political connections. He also noted a growth in economic and financial interactions and stressed the activation of the two nations' joint commission.

Following the meeting of the high-ranking delegations, the two presidents held a joint news conference and gave nearly identical sentiments to those given during the meeting.

Earlier agreements between the two countries include the elimination of diplomatic visa requirements as an initial step toward removing regular service visas to enhance relations. They have also committed to accelerating collaboration in science, technology, knowledge-based enterprises, agriculture, medicine, medical equipment, industry, and mining.

It is worth noting that the annual Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit brings together heads of state and government from member nations to engage in discussions about global gas industry matters, encompassing market dynamics, challenges, and prospects.

Iran is slated to host the GECF summit in 2027.