UK, Algeria agree to security partnership

LONDON (AP) - Britain and Algeria have agreed to a security partnership that could see greater intelligence-sharing and planning for future crises, United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday on a visit to the North African country.

Mr Cameron's trip to Algeria - where he was accompanied by Sir John Sawers, the head of Britain's international spy agency MI6 - followed the deadly Jan 16 attack on the Ain Amenas natural gas plant. That attack led to a four-day siege on the complex by Algerian forces. At least 37 hostages and 29 militants died.

At a press conference following talks with his Algerian counterpart, Mr Abdelmalek Sellal, Mr Cameron stressed the importance of a "tough and intelligent" response to the growing threat from militants in the region.

"Both Britain and Algeria are countries that have suffered from terrorism and we understand each other's suffering," he said. "What we have agreed is a strengthened partnership that looks at how we combat terrorism and how we improve security of this region.