British Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Stephen Heappey has said that the UK acknowledges the historic Algerian-Russian ties. The UK is willing to help Ukraine reach the goals determined by the people and democratically-elected government, he added.  He made his remarks in an interview on Wednesday with TSA (Tout sur l'Algérie) on the occasion of his visit to Algiers last Sunday. The British official affirmed that the UK government respects Algeria’s impartiality regarding the West-Russia conflict in the Ukrainian war. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated months ago that his country stands at an equal distance from the warring sides. The President was scheduled to visit Moscow by the end of last year but the visit was postponed till May for undeclared reasons. The UK deals with Algeria on the basis of respect and cooperation regarding the war in Ukraine, Heappey said, adding that it is keen on regularly briefing Algeria about the British concerns regarding the Russian operations in Ukraine. “We also help Algeria diversify its defense capabilities and equipment.” The North African region has a vital significance according to the UK, Heappey said. “They have shared interests in maritime security, freedom of navigation, and the protection of the countries against terrorism and other dangerous forms of organized crime.” He added that his visit to Algeria aimed to “reinforce bilateral ties”, confirming the long-term defense relations that stand on mutual partnership and respect. He stressed his country’s openness to cooperating with Algeria in the defense industry. Furthermore, Chief of Staff of the Algerian People's National Army General Said Chanegriha received Heappey on Sunday to explore ways to enhance defense cooperation. Heappey expressed UK's desire to take military cooperation with Algeria to a higher level. The meeting, held at the General Staff of the Algerian Army, dealt with the shared security challenges, including those relating to Africa, according to a statement from the Algerian Ministry of National Defense. Moreover, Heappey met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community abroad, Amar Belani. The Algerian-British talks focused on several regional and international issues of common interest, including the situation in Libya, Mali, and the Sahel region in general. Regarding Western Sahara, the Algerian and British sides affirmed their support for the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan De Mistura, aimed at encouraging the two parties to the conflict to relaunch the negotiation process to achieve a permanent and mutually acceptable political solution.