Top Iranian, Algerian Diplomats Discuss Visa Abolition, African Union, Israel

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2023) Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Saturday that he had discussed with his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, a wide range of issues, including the abolition of the visa regime between the two countries, the African Union and Israel's intention to join the organization.

"The relations between Iran and Algeria are at a pretty high level. We have always had a dialogue, and we will continue along this path. We have agreed to take the first step towards abolishing visas for politicians of both countries, and then towards abolishing ordinary, tourist visas," Amirabdollahian was quoted by the Tasnim news agency as saying at a joint press conference with Attaf.

The top Iranian diplomat also discussed the African Union with his Algerian counterpart and expressed Tehran's gratitude for Algiers' strong opposition to Israel's membership in the organization.

In mid-February, the Israeli delegation was escorted out of the African Union's meeting in Addis Ababa at the request of Algeria and South Africa. In response to this move, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said that the African Union had been "taken hostage by a small number of extremist countries such as Algeria and South Africa driven by hatred and controlled by Iran."

The African Union was created in 2002 as the successor to the Organization of African Unity. The union consists of 55 member states. Israel was an observer to the Organization of African Unity until 2002, but lost this status under pressure from the then-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Israel gained the observer status with the African Union only in 2021, but already in 2023, the status was suspended.