Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika met with National Transitional Council (NTC) chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil for the first time on Tuesday (November 15th), signalling a breakthrough in relations with the new Libya leadership.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha.
"President Abdelaziz Bouteflika talked in a tripartite meeting Tuesday in Doha with head of NTC Mustafa Abdul Jalil and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa Al Thani," according to APS.
The two countries have been trying to restore relations since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime.
The Algerian authorities confirmed their willingness "to co-operate with the new Libyan authorities in order to preserve the joint interests of their two peoples and contribute to the enhancement of peace, security and stability of the entire region" in a statement given after Bouteflika's visit to Mali.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, the only direct contact between the two governments took place at an Arab League meeting in Cairo and in New York during a session of the UN General Assembly where Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci met former head of NTC's Executive Board Mahmoud Jibril.
The Algerian authorities did not reveal the details of meeting. However, they denied that the two meetings between Bouteflika and the NTC chief took place through the mediation of the emir of Qatar. The Algerian foreign ministry said that it was "an ordinary meeting."
He added, "Since September 2nd, official contacts with the new authorities in Libya have been taking place on the level of senior officials through the consulates of the two countries."
(Source: Magharebia)
