Iran\'s first VP felicitates Algeria on Independence Day

Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in a message to Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal on Sunday extended his felicitations to the Algerian government and nation on the country’s Independence Day. In his message to Sellal, Rahimi congratulated Algeria\'s Independence Day. On July 1962, more than 100 years of French rule in Algeria came to an end as France officially recognized a referendum for independence that was passed by a vote of the Algerian people. Algerians had struggled for independence from the French occupants of their land with organized movements for revolution since the end of World War I. Independence Day is a legal holiday in Algeria. In his message, Rahimi pointed to the commonalities and similarities existing between the Iranian and Algerian revolutions with regard to freedom from the yoke of imperialism as well as Islam\'s fundamental role in achieving freedom and independence, and said that the Islamic Republic is ready to expand friendly and brotherly ties with Algeria in different fields. Earlier this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi underlined the role of Iran and Algeria, as two important and influential countries located in two sensitive regions of Middle East and Africa, adding that both countries share positions vis-à-vis regional and international developments Salehi reiterated the importance of close contacts between Iranian and Algerian officials. \"The two Muslim and brotherly countries of Iran and Algeria have very good relations and we hope that we will witness further improvement in their all-out ties, particularly in economic and trade sectors, through support of the two countries\' parliaments,\" Salehi said. In similar remarks in September, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Speaker of Algeria\'s National Assembly Abdul Qadir bin Saleh, said that the African state has been a good partner for Iran since the victory of the Islamic Revolution. As regards bilateral relations, the Leader said, \"There are great capacities for the expansion of economic, political and cultural ties between Iran and Algeria which must be activated.\"