Finland Times

Erkki Tuomioja held talks with his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra. Speaking at a press conference, Ramtane Lamamra said he discussed with his Finnish counterpart ways of developing bilateral trade and addressed political issues of common interest.

 The head of Algerian diplomacy said the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) , the issue of Western Sahara, the crisis in Syria and the situation in Africa and the Sahel region, were among the topics discussed with visiting Finish FM.

 Lamamra added that talks included also the role of the European Union (EU) in the resolution of the crisis in the Central African Republic, as well as efforts of the African Union (EU) , the United Nations (UN) and the EU, particularly in the preservation of peace and security in Africa.

 Erkki Tuomioja hailed progress made by the North African nation, notably in terms of security, after the difficult period of the 90 's.

Finnish Foreign Minister started Tuesday a three-day visit to Algeria. He was received by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and will also meet with the Agriculture Minister and Minister of Post and Information Technology and Communication.