Algeria, Syria sign economic pacts

DAMASCUS, Syria, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, on an official visit to Damascus, has signed a series of agreements for economic cooperation with Syria.

The documents signed Thursday cover areas including transportation, trade, agriculture and energy, the official Syrian news agency SANA said. Algeria has agreed to provide assistance to Syria with oil and gas exploration through its state company, Sonatrach.

"This constitutes an opportunity to exchange views on boosting economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two brotherly countries as well as a good opportunity to discuss mechanisms of increasing the volume of trade exchange and tackling the obstacles that face the work progress," said Syrian Economy Minister Amr Lutfi.

The prime minister also passed on a letter to President Bashar al-Assad from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who invited Assad to visit Algeria.