World Bulletin / News Desk

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius arrived in Algiers on Sunday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra.

The French minister was welcomed by Lamamra at Houari-Boumediene Airport in the Algerian capital.

Fabius is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes lawmakers, senior diplomats and around 20 business leaders, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said the visit falls within the framework of a 2013 agreement on regular political dialogue between the leaders of both countries.

During his stay, Fabius will hold talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal.

In earlier remarks, the French minister said the agenda of his visit would be dominated by economic, security and transport cooperation with Algeria, a former French colony that gained independence after a bitter armed struggle between 1954 and 1962.