three-day visit of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and AU’s Chairman, to Algeria.

The three-day visit 24-26 March 2015 of Zimbabwean President Robert MUGABE to Algeria at the invitation of President of the Republic Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, was in line with the excellent political relations between the two countries.

The visit of Mugabe, also incumbent chairman of the African Union, underscored the excellent political relations marked by the convergence of views on all regional and international issues of common interest.

It was an opportunity for the two sides to identify means and ways to enhance and boost cooperation and exchanges between the two countries, which are united by exemplary brotherly relations and solidarity since the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980.

The presidents BOUTEFLIKA and MUGABE also discussed issues relating to peace, security, cooperation and integration in Africa.

Minister for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader MESSAHEL, who was in Zimbabwe in February as part of a tour to a number of African countries, handed over a message from President BOUTEFLIKA to Mugabe. On this occasion, he underlined that Algerian and Zimbabwe agreed to hold the session of their joint commission during the second half of 2015.

The third session of Algeria-Zimbabwe Joint Commission, which took place in Harare in 2009 after that held in Algiers in 1990, was dubbed an “important event” in the enhancement and development of bilateral relations.

The session culminated in the finalization of several cooperation agreements in various areas, including those related to diplomatic consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries, scientific and technical cooperation, sport, cooperation between the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Zimbabwe’s National Chamber of Commerce.

The two countries also agreed to continue their negotiations on other draft agreements, especially in fields relating to trade, small and medium-sized enterprises, reciprocal protection of investments, non-double taxation, agriculture, health, culture, communication and media.

During this session, the two countries underlined the convergence of their views on regional and international issues of common interest and their “active role” in the promotion of peace, stability and good neighbourliness, as well as their positions regarding the right of peoples to decide their future, particularly in Western Sahara and Palestine.