CAIRO: Egypt will return its ambassador to Algeria who was recalled last month over a bitter football row only if it receives compensation for vandalized Egyptian property, a newspaper reported Monday.
Algeria and Egypt engaged in a diplomatic row after Algerian fans attacked the buses of Egyptians fans in a World Cup qualifier hosted by Sudan in November, which Algeria won.
Egypt withdrew Ambassador Abdel Aziz El-Nasr in response.
We will not return the Egyptian ambassador to Algeria until there is an apology and compensation for the damage that was inflicted on Egyptian businesses and people, Shorouk newspaper quoted Legal Affairs Minister Mufid Shehab as saying.
Algerians ransacked and burned the offices of Egyptian companies in Algiers, including telecommunications giant Orascom, and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has estimated the damages at tens of millions of dollars.
The companies will ask for compensation for this damage and we hope … the Algerian government… will comply when these companies submit their compensation requests, the foreign ministry quoted Aboul Gheit as saying in a statement on Sunday.
Aboul Gheit also said that Egypt hoped to resume good relations with Algeria, stressing that the two countries were joined by brotherhood and affection.
On Friday, Algerian Oil Minister Chekib Khelil said Friday that Egyptian-Algerian ties were improving and the two nations will set up a joint oil company.
They already improved, I am here, said Khelil on arrival in Cairo to attend on Saturday a meeting for the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.
He said he would be signing an agreement to set a joint oil exploration and production company after his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart.
The company, to be named Selene Petrol, will be a 50-50 joint venture between Algeria s SONATRAC oil company and two Egyptian oil firms. It will operate in Algeria, Egypt and third countries, the minister said.
So, you could say we are looking forward, to improved ties between Egypt and Algeria, Khelil said.
The company is named after 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. -AFP
