Iranian parliamentary delegation to leave for Algeria today

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi will leave for Algeria at the head of a four-member parliamentary delegation later today. The Iranian parliamentary delegation plans to discuss regional and international issues with high-ranking Algerian officials, including President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, during their four-day visit. Member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Abbasali Mansouri Arani and members of the Parliament's Presiding Board Hossein Sobhaninia and Mohammad Ashouri Taziani are other senior Iranian parliamentarians of the delegation. Early in August, Vice-Speaker of the Iranian Parliament for Executive Affairs Ali Afrashteh and Secretary General of the Council of the Nation (Senate) of Algeria Hafnaoui Amrani asked for the expansion of all-out cooperation between the two Muslim nations. At the meeting here in the Iranian capital, Amrani praised the growing relations between the two countries, and stressed that the Algerian parliament and government welcome enhancement of ties with Iran. He also called for constant interactions between Algerian and Iranian parliamentary officials, and expressed hope that Algiers and Tehran exchange their legislative expertise. Afrashteh, for his part, pointed to the numerous affinities between Iran and Algeria and stated that expansion of friendly ties with Algeria is among the priorities of the Iranian parliament. Afrashteh also described parliamentary cooperation between Iran and Algeria in the international arena, especially in the Islamic Inter-Parliamentary Union, as an important factor in the enhancement of relations between the two countries. In recent years, Iran has sought hard to boost ties and cooperation with Africa. Iran is an observing member of the African Union (AU) and has shown an active presence in previous AU summit meetings.