Algerian president goes to Switzerland for medical tests

ALGIERS (AP) - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has traveled to Switzerland for medical tests.

A statement from the president's office says the 79-year-old went to Switzerland on Sunday for a private visit and "periodic medical tests." The statement doesn't give any more details.

Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013. He only rarely makes televised appearances and is always seen in a wheelchair.

Rumors about the Algerian president's poor health have resurfaced recently, especially after a photo was posted on French Prime Minister Manuel Valls' Twitter account on April 10 in which he appears weakened.

Bouteflika took office in 1999 and has been re-elected three times, with the constitution modified to do away with a limit on presidential mandates.