Pretoria, 26 May 2010 - President Jacob Zuma has commenced his working visit in Algeria at the fifth session of the presidential Bi-National Commission (BNC).

Zuma, who is there for a two-day visit, will today conduct a thorough assessment of cooperation and explore ways and means of strengthening South Africa's relations with Algeria.

The two countries will also sign agreements on the gas petroleum sector, nuclear energy and sport. Six groups working on issues such as energy and infrastructure, defence and security and trade and investment will also report back on their progress.

On Tuesday, Zuma who meet his counterpart, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, recommitted that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) is going to receive renewed attention. This follows concerns that the African Union has not prioritized Nepad.

During the talks with Bouteflika, Zuma also spoke of the success of the meeting with discussions raging from the unity of Africa and the strengthening of bilateral relations between South Africa and Algeria.

Zuma and Bouteflika also shared views on the various challenges facing the African continent such as under-development and the need to improve peace and to build African unity.

President Zuma later laid a wreath at the Martyr Memorial Site and took a guided tour of the Moudjahid Museum which chronicles the struggles of the people of Algeria against colonial oppression.

On the sidelines of the BNC, Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane held talks with her counterpart Mourad Medelci.

The two talked about the significance of a strong economic partnership between the two countries and African countries in general.

"It is a strong indictment against us that trade between, and across, African countries is only ten percent," the minister said.

"We have to redress this if we cherish a dream of growth and development taking place on this continent. It is behind this backdrop that the African Union (AU), as part of its primary African agenda, has instructed that we need to strengthen regional economic communities (RECs) across the continent so that we could increase intra-trade across the continent."

It is expected that the bi-national commission will further provide an opportunity for all outstanding agreements and programmes of action between the two countries to be finalised.

Source: BuaNews