Editing Abdelaziz Bouteflika (section)

=== Foreign policy ===
During Bouteflika's second term he was sharply critical of the law passed after the 2005 French riots ordering French history school books to teach that French colonisation had positive effects abroad, especially in North Africa. The diplomatic crisis which ensued delayed the signing of a friendship treaty between the two countries.
Ties to Russia were strengthened and Russia agreed to forgive debts if Algeria began buying arms and gave Russian gas companies (Gazprom, Itera, and Lukoil) access to joint fossil-fuel ventures in Algeria.

In 2004 Bouteflika organised the Arab League Summit and became President of the Arab League for one year; however his calls for reform of the League did not gain sufficient support to pass during the Algiers summit.
[[File:Vladimir Putin in Algeria 10 March 2006-1.jpg|thumb|204x204px|Bouteflika with President of Russia [[Vladimir Putin]] at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers on 10 March 2006.]]
At the March 2005 meeting of Arab leaders, held in Algiers, Bouteflika spoke out strongly against Israel, "The Israelis' continuous killing and refusal of a comprehensive and lasting peace, which the Arab world is calling for, requires from us to fully support the Palestinian people. Despite criticism from the west, specifically the United States, Bouteflika insisted that Arab nations would reform at their own pace.

On 16 July 2009, President of Vietnam Nguyễn Minh Triết,  met with Bouteflika on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Egypt.> President Triet and Bouteflika agreed that the two countries still have great potential for development of political and trade relations. Triet praised the Algerian government for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to invest in oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Algeria.
In March 2016, the foreign ministers of the Arab league voted to declare [[Hezbollah]] a terrorist organization, Bouteflika voted with Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq to reject the motion.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a major concern of Bouteflika's Algeria had been on-and-off Tuareg rebellions in northern Mali. Algeria has asserted itself forcefully as mediator in the conflict, perhaps underlining its growing regional influence. Compromise peace agreements were reached in 2007 and 2008, both mediated by Algiers.