PARIS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande on Sunday had a phone talk with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the hostage crisis in Algeria, said the Elysee Palace in a statement.
During the talks, the French president expressed full solidarity of France with Japan in dealing with the situation, calling for a "close coordination to ensure the safety of citizens of our two countries in the region."
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation between France and Japan on security issues across all the African continent and the fight against terrorism "which bring us together."
According to the Elysee Palace, the Japanese prime minister expressed his support for the action of France and African forces in Mali, for the peace and stability in the region.
The Japanese government is struggling to confirm information of Japanese held hostages by the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic militants in Algeria after the North African country ended its rescue operation and left several Japanese hostages dead.
The Japan Gasoline Co. (JGC), which deeply embroiled in the hostage crisis, said Sunday that 41 non-Japanese staff of a total of 78 employees who were seized by Islamic militants in a gas facility in Algeria have been confirmed in safe conditions, but 17 workers, including 10 Japanese, remain unaccounted for after rescue operation ended.
Islamic militants on Wednesday seized a natural gas facility in southeast Algeria and took dozens of workers hostages, in a bid to push France for stopping its military operation in Mali.
After the rescue operation, the Algerian interior ministry has put the death toll of the hostage crisis at 55 people, including 23 hostages and 32 militants, earlier media reports said.
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