ALGIERS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on Saturday urged separatist movements in northern Mali to cooperate more with the central government in Bamako for the sake of achieving sustainable peace in this neighboring country.
Ouyahia told a joint press conference with visiting Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga that Algeria has been "encouraging" the Malian movements to take further steps to achieve "closer rapprochement" with the Malian authorities for the sake of peace in the country.
He added that he discussed with his Malian counterpart security issues in northern Mali where "I have assured to our brothers in Mali the solidarity of Algeria in their efforts to restore peace and maintaining national sovereignty and territorial unity."
The security situation in the Sahel region was also in the agenda of the meeting, added Ouyahia, saying "the need to combat terrorism, transnational crime and the need for solidarity among the neighboring countries in the Sahel region should be met."
On the other hand, Ouyahia considered bilateral relations between Algeria and Mali to have witnessed "significant" progress during the past three years, as Algiers and Bamako held several key meetings including the Joint High Committee, the Committee for Border Cooperation and the Military Cooperation Committee.
Algeria played a key role in the signing of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in 2015, as it put an end to hostilities between the government and separatist armed movements in northern Mali.
The agreement was reached by all Malian warrant parties in Bamako after five rounds of UN-sponsored talks initiated in July 2014 with an international mediation led by Algeria.
Algeria and Mali are active members at the Sahel Regional Chief of Staff Committee, which also includes Mauritania and Niger.
The committee was established in the Algerian town of Tamanrasset on the border with Mali and Niger in 2009 in a bid to coordinate efforts and exchange information on combating terrorism, organized crime and trafficking.
