Pope John Paul II confers with President Bouteflika

Pope John Paul II met in the Vatican on Monday with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who started a European tour aimed at strengthening relations between Algeria and the countries of the European continent.

News reports in the Vatican said that Bouteflika met with the Pope for 15 minutes before he introduced members of his accompanying delegation, which is composed of 10 Algerian ministers and other officials, to the Pope.

The reports added that discussions between the two sides are expected to deal with reciprocated relations among religions and other issues of mutual concern.

However, this meeting falls in the course of the visit the Algerian president had started to Italy and which will last for three days before he attends an international conference on "business" in Monte Carlo. Earlier in the day, the Algerian President arrived in Italy on a three-day official visit.

AFP quoted an Italian source as saying that the visit comes in the course of strengthening friendship and cooperation relations between Rome and Algeria.