May 12 , 2015 Algeria recently received a visitor in the person of Raul Castro, Cuba’s president. President Raul arrived in the Algerian capital, Algiers, on Sunday third of May for a three-day visit to the North African country and was received at Houari-Boumediene International Airport by Algeria’s Senate President, Abdelkader Bensalah as well as some other high ranking officials of the country.
The first action he took on his arrival was to offer a floral wreath at Algeria’s Martyrs’ Memorial in Algiers. The memorial commemorates Algeria’s War of Independence from France from 1954 until 1962.
In the course of his visit, Castro met the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika to further strengthen mutual connections. Both countries have long enjoyed warm ties since Cuba helped Algeria break free of colonial rule more than half a century ago by shipping arms and civilian aid to the rebels of the Algerian National Liberation Front. After Algeria gained independence in 1962, the friendship grew stronger yet, with the two countries trading and exchanging products like oil and oil products, medicines, machinery and sugar.
Since Algeria dropped its one-party political system, the country opened much of its economy to the outside world and now imports a growing variety of consumer goods.
Both countries are also allies of the Soviet Union and leading members of the Non-Aligned Movement. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who is the brother of the current president has visited Algeria seven times.