Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said on Friday that foreign troops should end their occupation of Iraq in order to let Iraqis decide on their country's future.

At a dinner with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bouteflika expressed his grave concern over the current situation in Iraq, which he said had turned into an unstable situation in the region.

He called for an early implementation of Resolution 1546, adopted by the UN Security Council in 2004, to advance Iraq's political procedures and bring peace back to the country as soon as possible.

The president said he hoped that various factions in Iraq could iron out their differences properly, as the differences "will just help foreign troops carry on their occupation in Iraq."

During their talks earlier in the day, Bouteflika and Putin exchanged views on Algeria-Russia relations, ties between Palestine and Israel, the situation in Iraq, and other international and regional issues of common concern.

Putin arrived in the Algerian capital of Algiers on Friday for his one-day visit to the country.

Source: Xinhua