Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
Algerian Oil Minister Chekib Khelil said Algerian- Egyptian ties dented over a World Cup qualifying match is to recover following a decision by the two nations to set up a joint oil company.
"They already improved, I am here," said Khelil on arrival in Cairo on Saturday to attend a meeting for the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Khelil met with his Egyptian counterpart on Sunday.
"I hope we will be signing an agreement to set a joint company to do exploration and production," Khelil said ahead of the meeting.
The minister said the company - Selene Petrol - will be a 50-50 united venture between Algeria's SONATRAC oil company and two Egyptian oil firms. He added: "It will operate in Algeria, Egypt and third countries".
"So, you could say we are looking forward to improved ties between Egypt and Algeria", Khelil stated.
The company was named Selene, the daughter of Egypt's Queen Cleopatra who ruled Egypt more than 2,000 years ago, and was married to Algerian king Juba II.
Algeria and Egypt engaged in a diplomatic row after fans of the former attacked the buses of Egyptians fans in a World Cup qualifier hosted by Sudan earlier this month, which Algeria won.
Egyptian ambassador in Algiers had to abandon his post to return to his country. The row started when a bus carrying the Algerian football team in Cairo was pelted with stones which injured three Algerian players.
AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02
African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02
Combating HIV infections among African women08/02
Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02
Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02
Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02
Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02
AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02
