TEHRAN -- Iran’s foreign minister has lauded a recent vote by Algeria in opposition to the occupying regime of Israel’s membership at the African Union (AU).
“Algeria has acted based on wisdom and logic,” Hussein Amir-Abdollahian told his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, in a phone conversation on Thursday as he praised Algeria’s negative vote for the Zionist regime’s membership on 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 will bring about significant benefits for Muslim nations.
Referring to cordial political relations between Iran and Algeria, Amir-Abdollahian voiced optimism that ties between the two countries would expand further in all fields.
Lamamra, for his part, officially invited the top Iranian diplomat to visit the North African country as he underlined the importance of forming 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.
The occupying regime of 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.
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.
Later on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian had a phone conversation with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, saying relations between Tehran and the United Arab Emirates are of special importance to both countries.
“We are confident that an improvement in relations will lead to a full development of mutual cooperation,” he said.
The Emirati minister, for his part, pointed to problems on the way of boosting bilateral trade between the two countries, noting that Iranian and Emirati experts are working to find solutions to those problems.
The UAE foreign minister also invited Amir-Abdollahian to pay an official visit to his country, which was reciprocated by Amir-Abdollahian’s invitation for his Emirati counterpart to visit Iran.