Speaker of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) Brahim Bouderbala and Speaker of the Algerian People's National Assembly (ANAP) Ibrahim Boughali on Monday affirmed their shared keenness to further foster relations between the two countries and endeavour to iron out administrative difficulties with a view to scale up cooperation and find working mechanisms between the two countries' parliaments. "We will endeavour to iron out the difficulties hindering the cementing of relations between the two countries and to find working mechanisms between the Tunisian and Algerian parliaments to boost horizontal relations in a way that meets the two peoples' expectations," Boudarbala said in a joint press statement upon seeing off his Algerian counterpart at Tunis Carthage Airport at the end of a four-day visit. Bouderbala described his talks with his Algerian guest as 'realistic and frank,' pointing out that the regional and global situation "calls for joint initiatives to protect our two countries and our peo ples in Tunisia and Algeria." "The rapprochement between Tunisia, Algeria and Libya will "create a situation in the Mediterranean that will be reckoned with," he considered. Boughali for his part, commended the outcome of his visit to Tunisia and the discussions and meetings he held with his Tunisian counterpart and a number of ministers, which had concluded with a meeting with President Kais Saied, stating that all these meetings "show that Algerian-Tunisian relations have reached distinguished levels." The challenges facing these relations "require further efforts to reach higher levels and to iron out administrative obstacles," he underlined. He voiced wish that the upcoming presidential elections in his country, set for September 2024, and in Tunisia on October 6, 2024, will contribute to "consolidating positions and further fostering relations binding the two countries, which he described as "'deep-rooted and long-standing." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse