Raisi in Algeria in first visit of Iranian president in more than a decade

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Raisi departed Tehran for Algiers in the early hours of Saturday to attend the 7th meeting of the leaders of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

During the visit, which comes at the official invitation of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Iranian chief executive is scheduled to meet with other top officials from the 19-member gathering of the world’s leading natural gas producers.

The two presidents are also set to sign several memoranda of understanding on the sidelines of the international meeting.

Raeisi’s trip marks the fourth visit of Iranian presidents to the North African country, which took place with a gap of about 14 years after former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit in 2010.

The GECF, which is comprised of 13 permanent members and seven observers, was established in 2008 based on an initial proposal by Iran as one of the world’s largest holders of natural gas reserves.

Raisi’s trip comes on the backdrop of Iran’s efforts to boost relations with countries in North Africa, including Sudan, with which Iran had strained relations in recent years, and with Egypt, a country that has had no diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979.