Lebanon's Michel Sleiman praises Algeria

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman has praised his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika during a short visit to Algiers. In a press statement, Sleiman expressed his country’s appreciation for Bouteflika's crucial work in both the Arab League and Algeria. The Lebanese president commended the Algerian head of state for his constitutional and legislative reforms, including amendments to the elections law. Sleiman heralded the fact that Algerian women hold 30 percent of the parliamentary seats in country, and added that Bouteflika had laid the foundations for social, political and economic progress. The Lebanese leader congratulated Bouteflika for settling Algeria's debts, and praised the Algerian authorities for managing their own sources of oil and petroleum. Sleiman said that Lebanon can learn from the approach adopted by the Algerian president, to ensure a better future for the Lebanese people. The Lebanese president claimed that his visit to Algeria had been more successful than some of the previous visits, and he raised hope that it would pave the way for improved relations between the two states. Sleiman also confirmed that the two leaders had agreed to organise and schedule frequent visits between the government ministers and officials of the two countries.