Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Oct. 15 (VNA) -- President Tran Duc Luong and visiting Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika discussed measures to bring the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries to a new plane of development.

The two Presidents were holding talks in Ha Noi this afternoon, Oct. 15, right after President Bouteflika arrived in the city for a four-day official visit to Viet Nam.

They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concerns and agreed that the two countries would strengthen their coordination at international fora.

The two sides expressed their pleasure at the fine development of the solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Algeria.

President Luong said he believed that the current Viet Nam visit by President Bouteflika would be successful, marking a new landmark for the development of relations between the two countries, particularly in the economic-commercial field.

He assured his guest of Viet Nam's foreign policy to have attached importance to strengthening and developing traditional relations with countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, especially Algeria, while implementing diversification and multilateralization of international relations.

The Vietnamese President made high appreciation on the Algerian people's valuable support and assistance, particularly the Algerian President's sentiment, to the Vietnamese people's just struggle for national independence in the past as well as their national construction and development at present.

President Luong welcomed Algeria's policy of national reconciliation, initiated and conducted by President Bouteflika, to stabilize the country. He spoke highly of the Algerian people's achievements in their national construction and development.

He also highly valued Algeria's independent, peaceful and non-aligned foreign policy and the country and President Bouteflika's active contributions to the common struggle of developing countries and the strengthening of South-South cooperation, thus helping protect legitimate interest of the Algerian people and limiting negative impacts of the globalization process.

President Bouteflika expressed his joys at re-visiting Viet Nam after 30 years. He also expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese people's heroic struggle for national salvation and unification in the past and important achievements in the current renovation process and national construction and development. He said that Viet Nam has set a bright example for developing countries, especially African ones, in the struggle for national independence and construction.

The Algerian President appreciated Viet Nam's role and position in the region, non-aligned movement and the world. He reaffirmed his wish to further boost and develop friendship and cooperation with Viet Nam.

The talks took place in an atmosphere of fraternal friendship and mutual understanding.

In the evening, President Luong held a banquet in honour of President Bouteflika and other distinguished Algerian guests.

The same day, Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien received his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Belkhadem.