Iran welcomes Algeria’s opposition to Israel's membership at African Union
Iran’s foreign minister has welcomed Algeria’s opposition to Israeli regime’s observer status at the African Union (AU), noting that it was the most logical position to be taken by Algiers on this matter.
"Algeria
has acted based on wisdom and logic,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his
Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, in a phone conversation on Thursday as
he praised Algeria's negative vote for Israel’s membership at the AU.
“This
measure, which was taken by you, in addition to Algeria's rational stance on
Syria's return to the Arab League are valuable," Amir-Abdollahian added.
The Iranian
foreign minister also expressed hope that the forthcoming meeting of the Arab
League be ensued with significant benefits for the Muslim Ummah.
Referring
to cordial political relations between Iran and Algeria, Amir-Abdollahian
voiced optimism that the ties between the two countries would further develop
in all fields.
Lamamra,
for his part, officially invited the top Iranian diplomat to visit the North
African country while underlining the importance of forming a political
committee between Tehran and Algiers as well as a committee to pursue
development of bilateral relations.
Back
in August, the Algerian foreign minister chastised the chairman of the AU
Commission for defending his decision to grant Israel observer status at the
African bloc, saying insistence on the measure will eventually result in the
breakup of the regional organization.
Israel announced
on July 22 that it had joined the influential pan-African body, which debates
continental issues, as an “observer state,” after unsuccessful lobbying for
nearly 20 years.
The
news elicited lukewarm response from some member countries of the union, who
had for years blocked the move, citing the regime’s horrendous war crimes in
Palestine.
For
almost two decades, since the disbandment of the Organization of African Unity
(OAU) in 2002, Israel had made futile attempts to join the African Union, which
replaced the OAU.
However, the move was always thwarted by members of the union, who even called for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in February.
