Brussels, 06/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Wednesday the European Troika held a meeting with the Algerian Foreign Minster, Mr Belkhaddem, to pursue political dialogue against the background of the internal problems that have characterised the political history of Algeria. Alongside developments in EU/Algerian co-operation (which is expected to be formalised through the initialling of an Association Agreement at the beginning of January 2002), the politicians also discussed the war on terrorism and the events of 11 September which have raised the stakes and the importance of this dialogue. Another area focussed upon was the situation in the Middle East. The two sides assessed the current situation and the EU repeated that it was committed to favouring dialogue. They also discussed the situation in the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and Africa and the prospects for a peace settlement to the Sahara conflict. In terms of Africa, the EU is reported to have pledged to consult Algiers on its political initiatives with regard to the continent. The politicians shared information on the latest internal developments (enlargement, the euro, JHA and immigration policies for the EU; and political and economic reform for Algeria).