Schröder: A New Era of German-Algerian Relations

Speaking at a dinner hosted by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on his arrival on Friday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said his trip would "make it possible to open a new chapter in the history of bilateral relations which will undoubtedly have favorable repercussions, especially on an economic level".

"Our two countries are not only linked by history, but by the present and the future. Their vision on European questions and on bilateral relations is not different... for they are based on the same principles," said Schröder, quoted by Algerian press agency APS.

"The two countries are in agreement that regional crises cannot be resolved other than through the United Nations," he said, adding that the UN should be reinforced.

Bouteflika said Algeria and Germany "have a duty to combine their efforts to contribute to the reduction of tensions in the world and to work for the promotion of exemplary multilateralism in international relations."

Algerian leader calls for Middle East peace

The Algerian leader expressed his concern about the present situation in the Middle East and the lack of movement in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. He said he hoped that the process of bringing order to Iraq "would be seen through, and that the Iraqi people will be able to regain total sovereignty and their right to freedom and peace."

Schröder was to hold talks with Bouteflika later on Saturday before attending a German-Algerian economic forum. The German leader arrived in Algeria from Libya where he met the country's leader Moammar Gadhafi. It was the first visit to Tripoli by a post-war German chancellor and the latest by a Western leader since the former pariah state returned to the international fold last year.