Algeria president on two-day visit to Tunisia to discuss bilateral relations

Algeria president on two-day visit to Tunisia to discuss bilateral relations
The Algerian president landed in neighbouring Tunisia on Wednesday, where he will discuss bilateral ties with his Tunisian counterpart.
2 min read
15 December, 2021
Tebboune (L) and Saied will discuss ways of strengthening their countries ties [AFP/Getty]

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune landed in Tunisia on Wednesday, where he will discuss bilateral ties with his North African neighbour.

Tebboune and his delegation were welcomed by Tunisian President Kais Saied and will meet with a number of their counterparts during their two-day trip.

"The visit falls within the framework of strengthening the deep-rooted brotherly relations… expanding areas of cooperation and raising them to a qualitative level that embodies complete harmony and the common will of the leaderships of the two countries and their peoples," reported Algeria’s state-run news agency.

The Tunisian presidency on Monday said that Tebboune's visit "will constitute a renewed occasion to further strengthen the historical ties" between the two countries and consolidate their stances on current regional and international issues.

It was not clear what other political issues the two leaders will discuss.

Tunisia is embroiled in a political crisis after Saied seized almost complete power of the country in late July.

The move has been dubbed by his opponents - namely the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party - as a coup.

Tunisia is also in the grips of a worsening economic and financial crisis.

Algeria has also been accused of rolling back recent democratic achievements.

Algeria cut ties with Morocco in August, accusing it of "hostile" actions. Both countries are in conflict over the disputed Western Sahara territory which is controlled mainly by Rabat.

Algiers supports the separatist Polisario Front movement.

Relations were also damaged by Morocco’s establishment of ties with Israel last year.

Another crisis in North Africa is Libya, which is expected to hold presidential elections later this month to draw a line under a decade of conflict.