US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Algeria, a Moscow ally and major gas producer that has faced calls to boost exports to Europe after prices soared following Russia's war on Ukraine. Blinken touched down at Boumediene Airport and headed to meet Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra on his first visit as top US diplomat to the North African country.
He had flown in from Morocco, which in 2020 normalised ties with Israel under a deal that sparked renewed tensions over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Relations between Washington and Algiers have soured since the deal struck under then president Donald Trump. At time, the Trump administration recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the phosphate-rich desert territory, where Algeria has long backed the Polisario independence movement. - AFP
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