Foreign and European Affairs Ministry: Slovakia to Reopen Embassy in Algeria

Bratislava, 30 May (TASR) - Slovakia will re-establish representation in Algeria more than 20 years since it ended, prompting Algeria to reciprocate by opening its own embassy in Bratislava, TASR learnt from the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry's communications department on Friday. "Our relations are built on strong trust and shared efforts aimed at stability and prosperity. I'm convinced that this partnership will continue to move forward and deliver specific results for both countries, partly thanks to the opening of diplomatic missions in each other's countries," said Foreign Affairs Ministry State Secretary Marek Estok. According to Estok, the renewed Slovak-Algerian dialogue in political, economic and cultural areas is strengthening mutual trust through its consistency and depth, creating conditions for specific forms of bilateral cooperation. "Slovakia is building on the strong ties established by Slovak companies at the time of the former Czechoslovakia. There is potential in areas such as defence, agriculture and energy," added the state secretary. According to the ministry, Algeria, Africa's largest country and the world's seventh-largest gas exporter, sends 90 percent of its gas to the EU via the Transmed pipeline through Italy and Austria, and it's expressed its readiness to expand supplies to Slovakia. In Bratislava on Thursday (29 May), State Secretary Marek Estok and Algerian Ambassador to Slovakia based in Vienna Larbi Latroch discussed nearly finalised plans to open embassies in each other's countries. They also spoke about cooperation within international organisations, regional security issues and joint approaches to current global challenges. lin/df