South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and a senior ministerial delegation arrived Friday in Algiers for a three-day visit aimed at boosting bilateral relations.
Mbeki and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika were expected to preside over a special commission established to strengthen cooperation, which is currently dominated by military agreements.
Despite good relations between the two countries, trade between South Africa and Algeria is low, amounting to some 15 million dollars, according to official Algerian estimates.
Trade and investment agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries during Mbeki's stay in Algiers, an Algerian official said, without providing details.
Officials said Algiers and Pretoria wish to establish special ties because they share a "common vision" for tackling the continent's problems.
Algeria was a strong supporter of Nelson Mandela's African National Congress during its long struggle against apartheid -- ALGIERS (AFP) -
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