A long study consisting of 18 pages prepared by Ishak Benhizia, an analyst in the North Africa, Near East and . Indeed, because of their dependence on raw materials and their lack of hard currencies, commerce between Third World countries was negligible. Since 1976, Algeria has supported the Polisario Front, a group claiming to represent the population of Western Sahara, which is based among the 90,000 Sahrawi refugees who reside in refugee camps in Algeria. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo. Tension between Algiers and Rabat is, however, significant for one principal reason: Algeria is becoming a pawn for two disruptive powers, Russia and China. The strategic rapprochement between Russia and Algeria has risen during Vladimir Putins tenure, in particular after Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power in Algeria. According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, in 2010, bilateral trade amounted to 1337 million. Military scramble 'mirrors Cold War' as Russia, US and China vie for influence, Ukraine sows its offensive across Africa through grain diplomacy, 'I didnt threaten Africa over Russia sanctions', says top US diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Russia using food and energy as weapon against Europe and Africa, says vice-chancellor Habeck, Sjavas voice is unmistakable. This relationship was mutually beneficial: Algeria received Argentinian training guerrilleros, a delegation of the Venezuelan National Liberation Front, and even sent armaments to the latter (in an Algerian ship, as to avoid American control) at Cuba's request. Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", A map shows the course of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany on the exterior of an informational booth close to the receiving station for Nord Stream 2 on February 02, 2022 near . Algeria is one of Russia's main military allies on the African continent and a major buyer of Russian weapons. "There are times when one issue emerges that is so clearly black and white. The purpose of "Torch" was to hem Rommel's forces in between U.S. troops on the west and British troops to the east. Pan-Africanism and Pan-Arabism were strengthened during the Boumediene era. Italy and Algeria's relations is viewed as important for stability in the region. In MarchJune 2010, a group of "Gazprom" to drill the first exploration well in Africa in the perimeter of El Assel. Support for the arabization of Algerian societyincluding the elimination of French as the second national language and emphasis on an arabized education curriculumand the recent success of the FIS indicate a growing fervor in Algeria for asserting an independent national identity. Economic and trade cooperation was carried out between the two countries since the 1960s. Far from being opposed, Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism were, under Algerian influence, united: Boumedine summoned an extraordinary session of the Organization for African Unity following the Kippur War in 1973, which resulted in the creation of a special committee to coordinate the Organization and the Arab League, and in the break of diplomatic relations of 42 African states with Israel. Russia has been one of Venezuela's closest allies since 2006, when President Hugo Chavez, a socialist strongman and fierce critic of the United States, signed a $2.9 billion arms deal in . Russia is seeking to upend the status quo in Africa, using insecurity and diplomatic disputes with Western powers as a springboard to expand its presence on the continent. As the compilers of "2194 Days of War: An Illustrated Chronology of the Second World War" have shown, battles pertinent to the conflict were fought somewhere in the world on . In 1960, during a bloody 8-year war for Algerian independence from France, the Soviet Union recognized the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. In a bold assertion, Mohamed Dagalo - the deputy head of Sudan's ruling council - admitted in February that the 2021 coup, in which army leaders overthrew civilian authorities, was a "mistake". That division is one area the president-elect Bola Tinubu promises to address upon assuming office on 29 May. Algeria's interest in the region dates back to the 1960s and 1970s when it joined Morocco, Mauritania & Libya in efforts to remove the Spanish from the territory. We also ought to redouble our efforts to strengthening countries that have made peace with Israel and want close ties to the U.S. and Europe, countries like Egypt and Morocco. Between 2014 and 2018, Russia supplied the Algerian military with 66 percent of its weapons, and Algeria was Moscow's largest African client. Under Ben Bella, diplomatic relations with France were normalized, the negotiations concerning oil and gas leading to an agreement in 1964. With the war in Ukraine, NATO and other European allies are, for the moment, in agreement in reversing Russian aggression. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, contacts in key areas of mutual concern, including law enforcement and counter-terrorism cooperation, have intensified. By the mid-1970s, Algeria was fully engaged in the zenith of the Non-Aligned Movement, wary of imperial powers which looked down upon the Third World. Active diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute under the auspices of the Special Representative of the Secretary General are on-going. It was only when Israeli's President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Barak met Algerian President Abdalziz Bouteflika at the funeral of Moroccan King Hassan ll on July 25, 1999 that comments about rapprochement were made. Spain has an embassy in Algiers and a consulate-general in. Negotiations are expected to last a while, but results will not be confirmed by Algiers or Moscow any time soon. Russia sold the most arms to African countries, mainly to Algeria, . FILE PHOTO: Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino arrives at a Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium March 14, 2022. In Algeria, the consortium operates OJSC "NK" Rosneft "- OJSC" Stroytransgaz ", which is involved in the development of hydrocarbons in Block-245 south (Illizi province). In June 1993, an agreement on the establishment of the Joint m ezhpravitelstvennoy Russian-Algerian commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation . document.write('
' + d_names[d.getDay()] + ', ' + d.getDate() + ' ' + m_names[d.getMonth()] Algeria's long-standing defense ties with Moscow offer a template for what U.S. officials fear will become more the norm across Africa, as Russia pours weapons, mercenaries and money into. They also have determined he is not fully aware of the extent to which the Russian economy is being damaged by economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and allies.. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 May 1993. Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebbounes next Russian visit, against a backdrop of the war in Ukraine and large military contracts, aims to further strengthen those ties. Algeria is not one that typically draws much attention in Israel, the United States, or in the global media. [1], AlgeriaMorocco relations have been dominated by the issue of self-determination for the Western Sahara since their independence. This is a tough one. Shop Now Stella Sagatelian Since its independence, the Algerian Peoples National Army has been supplied mainly by the Russians, of which it has become the third-largest customer behind the Chinese and Indian defence industry. In fact, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramtane Lamamra, undertook his first diplomatic internship in Moscow during the Cold War era. (2015) "Beyond Continents, Colours, and the Cold War: Yugoslavia, Algeria, and the Struggle for Non-Alignment" The International History Review, 37:5, "Algeria, a global energy exporter with Africa's largest defense budget, is one of Russia's top arms export clients, behind only India and China," according to a report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Hence, French economic aid continued to flow in Algeria, to insure control on the petroleum and gas industry as well as maintain continued use of Algerian soil to run atomic tests in the Saharan desert. Algeria's absence from the list of countries that voted against Russia's invasion of Ukraine . In a bold assertion, Mohamed Dagalo - the deputy head of Sudan's ruling council - admitted in February that the 2021 coup, in which army leaders overthrew civilian authorities, was a "mistake". That is what we believe will change the continent, and that is what we report on. In an interview with RT Arabic, Lavrov said Russia and Algeria . South Africa chose to remain silent against Russia despite its opposition to NATO's intervention in Libya and Israel's occupation of Palestine. The E.U. Spain is also a member of the European Union and the NATO military alliance, both in the forefront of international opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, as the autogestion model proved to be widely inefficient, Algeria started to move towards a more centralized and Soviet-style economy by the end of 1964. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. The Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Nikolai Podgorny paid an official visit to Algeria in late March - early April 1969. Algeria, a large Arab country in North Africa, has had a friendly relationship with the Russian Federation for quite some time. However, France remained a model of prosperity, Algeria was still heavily dependent on France economically, and in 1975, French President Valry Giscard dEstaing made the first presidential visit since independence. Date: 30 November 2022 Author: Grzegorz Kuczyski. Friday, 03 February 2023 09:29 AM EST. [11], Military cooperation between the United States and Algeria were less sensible than that with the Soviet Union, and Algerian purchases in the early years of independence were mostly restrained to American planes. Forged in the fires of a pre-independence world, the unique relationship between Algiers and Moscow has never wavered, not even after the fall of the Soviet Union. "Algeria's military relies overwhelmingly on Russian arms, and the country has used its vast oil and natural gas exports to finance extensive arms purchases since embarking on a military modernization effort in the early 2000s. While the official date and main subject matter for President Abdelmadjid Tebbounes visit to Russia remains to be seen, it is almost assured that the war in Ukraine and the potential for new geopolitical, economic partnerships will be a topic for discussion, along with the possibility for new arms deals. Moreover, the Algerians resented the American failure to deliver the kind of assistance they requested: although the PL-480 food program provided food to millions of Algerians, the government sought to develop its economy through wider and long-term industrial programs. 2022/11/13. [30] Cyprus is considering Algeria as a potential partner to assist with extracting untapped oil and gas from the island's exclusive economic zone. A new law meant to punish Russia for election interference could force the Trump administration to sanction some of its closest allies -- including Saudi Arabia and India -- a possibility that has . Since his inauguration in 1999, President Bouteflika has sought to extend Algeria's international influence, traveling extensively throughout the world. These included Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Signs of a power struggle at the top of Sudan's ruling echelon are growing as the country's supposed transition to a civilian rule remains uncertain. "I hope that Algeria will reconsider its position and the statements it has made," Calvino told reporters in Barcelona. Italian Prime. Algeria is accredited to the Holy See from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. In the midst of a changing global power structure with diplomatic relations hanging on by a thread elsewhere, Algeria and Russia have maintained strong ties. [29], In December 2001, the Algerian firm Sonatrach and Cyprus oil company Medex Petroleum signed an exploration deal covering the north of Bordj Omar Idriss in the Illizi basin in south-eastern Algeria. After Spain announced its intention to abandon the province, then known as Spanish Sahara, in 1975, the united front presented by the Maghreb nations quickly disintegrated, as a result of Morocco, and subsequently Mauritania, staking claims to the territory. Sponsored by Burnzay Orthopedic Shoes Why are these shoes regarded by millions as the comflest shoe? A different atmosphere was on the rise in the 1990s as Algeria stopped making the loan repayments to Russia, and after Putin's rise, Algeria joined NATO'S "Mediterranean Dialogue" with other Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt. Andrii was present as a guest at the summit of "Eight", in particular, on Sea Island in July 2004, Gleneagles in July 2005 and Heiligendamm in June 2007, which also held a brief meeting with Putin A.Buteflikoy. 1) Secure North Africa, and with it, the road to the Middle East and India. [1] In the 1970s, Tunisia reversed its position on the Western Sahara so as not to antagonize Algerian authorities. Algeria currently enjoys very strong relations with Russia. The liquefied natural gas is transported by special vessels before eventually reaching the appropriate plant located in Megara, Attica. Blinken and others in Washington are also deeply concerned that Algeria is far too close to the terrorist regime in Iran. I give Secretary Blinken for trying to persuade Algeria to leave its ties to Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups and fully join the West. Moreover, they more pragmatically believed that to defend themselves from American hostility, they ought to encourage revolutions elsewhere in Latin America and in Africa as to distract the United States and create new allies. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean. In Algeria, there are over 13 thousand graduates of our civil and military schools. READ MORE Ukraine sows its offensive across Africa through grain diplomacy, We support the Algerian initiative to draw up new terms for a bilateral partnership, explained Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia, during his visit to Algiers in May 2022. "The Maghrib". 's dependence on Algeria only gives Russia further leverage over gas prices and energy supplies on the continent, something that needs to be avoided at all costs. The joint anti-terrorist drills dubbed Desert Shield were launched in late November at the Hammaguir testing ground in Bechar Province near the border with Morocco. Indeed, the United States had nearly replaced France as Algeria's first trade partner by the beginning of the 1970s.[5]. The intelligence community has concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine. As in 2010-14, Russia remained the largest arms supplier to Algeria in 2015-19, accounting for 67 per cent of Algerian arms imports, followed by China (13 per cent) and Germany (11 per cent)." - SIPRI "Relationship between Algeria and the USSR started even before Algeria got independence. Heh, R52? Hence, in October 1967, Algiers hosted the meeting of the Group of 77, which united 77 developing countries on major revendications: a global reform of the terms of trade and a greater collaboration between Third World countries to set the prices for their raw materials. Now, more than 14 years later, the same Putin has now invited Bouteflikas successor to visit him in Moscow. "December"); [35] The exports of Algerian products to Greece amounted to $89 million in 2001, including mainly oil and oil derivatives, natural gas, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel. However, China was inferior economically and militarily to the USSR, and could not match the USSR's industrial equipment and sophisticated armaments. A group of Kosovar human rights activists protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine near the . were meant to include all the developing and anti-imperialist countries, and Algeria intended to play a major role in its development. In mid-2001, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was Algeria's first head of state to visit Washington in 15 years. Pakistan was the first country to recognize the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Algeria" in exile on 19 September 1958 and facilitating the opening of an official mission in Karachi (Pakistan), even before Algeria's independence was formally declared. This role is perfectly summarized by Amilcar Cabrals leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde famous declaration that Algeria was the Mecca of revolution. The article alleged Tindouf-based criminal financial activities on European soil, further underscoring the concern that Algeria's close ties with the Polisario Front pose a threat to Western interests beyond North Africa. Ukraine's western allies have warned of "severe costs" for countries helping Russia evade sanctions as concern mounts about China's role in Moscow's war economy and the . (Reporting by Christina Thykjaer and Inti LandauroEditing by Gareth Jones and Angus MacSwan), Tags: Africa, Algeria, European Union, Europe, Spain. Given my recent visit to Morocco, I wanted to look more closely at the double game that Algeria is playing, and the threat it could pose to American, European and Israeli interests. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. [1] Tunisia was the first nation to sign the Treaty of Fraternity and Concord with Algeria, in 1983. After Algeria's decision, Madrid has tried to convince the North African country to backtrack. Algerias approach to international politics was motivated by the need for a liberation from the Western neocolonial economic superiority. But the bigger question is this: How can Algeria remain one of the most important clients of Russia's military industries while simultaneously positioning itself as southern Europe's most important supplier of natural gas? Wiki User. Trade between the two nations, amounting to $3bn in 2021, consists mainly of military equipment flowing from Moscow to Algiers. Algeria was close with the Soviet regime in the 1970s and 1980s because of the supply of arms. Russian Ambassador to Algeria Igor Belyaev estimated in July 2018 that Algeria accounts for half of Russia's arms sales to Africa. Behind closed doors and in public comments to reporters Blinken urged Algeria to significantly dial back its long-standing alliance with Russia in the light of the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin has proven himself such a cruel and brutal aggressor in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. READ MORE 'I didnt threaten Africa over Russia sanctions', says top US diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield. . var d_names = new Array("Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", [5][6], Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 June 2006. If Algiers is a Moscow ally, this is best-seen in the military field. The Algerian government, pursuing the dynamics that had started during the Algerian War for Independence and into the Cold War used the country's strategic geopolitical position at the crossroads of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian world to assert its own interests. If all that wasn't bad enough, a recent article in the German publication, Die Welt, put a spotlight on Algeria's support for the Polisario Front which is not only trying to sow instability in Morocco but in Europe, as well. Firstly, the Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded in Belgrade in 1961, and which Algeria joined shortly after its independence, defined the concept of non-alignment in the Cold War as a way for poor countries to exploit the conflicts and tensions and hence to promote their own interests.
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