Русский
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, met with Mohamed Attaf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria, on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
During the conversation, the parties considered the priority tasks of further strengthening relations of the enhanced strategic partnership between Russia and Algeria, expressing satisfaction with the high level of the trust-based political dialogue and established interaction in different multilateral formats, including at the UN Security Council and General Assembly platforms.
They exchanged opinions on the current issues on the global and regional agendas with an emphasis on the situation in the Middle East and the Sahara-Sahel region and underscored their readiness to continue close foreign policy coordination.
Algeria is considered a gateway to the MENA region by Russia, as it is a member of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement as well as the Greater Arab Free Trade Area. It is also a BRICS partner nation and holds equity in the New Development Bank.
Algeria has a population of 46.81 million, a GDP (PPP) of US$826.14 billion, and a GDP (PPP) per capita of approximately US$17,770. Economic growth is projected at 4.5% for 2025.
The Algerian government has been bolstering ties with Moscow in recent years as part of efforts to diversify its economy amid deteriorating relations with France. In August last year, Algiers barred French companies from competing for a wheat import contract last October and warned participants not to supply grain produced in France. At the time, the state-owned Algerian Inter-professional Office of Cereals reportedly tendered a purchase contract for over 500,000 tons of wheat and turned to Russia as its main supplier.
In mid-January this year, French officials said that Algeria is adopting a policy that aims to significantly reduce French economic presence in the country. Trade between Algeria and France, its largest trade partner, has fallen by 30% since 2024.
Russian trade is increasing in its place, with Russian agro-industrial product exports to Algeria increasing to US$850 million in 2024. The two countries signed a trade and security agreement last year, with Algeria also applying to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Algeria is a member of OPEC, while Russia is a member of OPEC+.
The respective Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries signed a cooperation agreement earlier this year providing for the exchange of economic information and data on foreign trade, as well as on the rules of doing business in each state. In addition, agreements were concluded between individual companies and associations.
In the energy sector, Russia’s Gazprom has been developing the El Assel project since 2008. In 2021–22, a development plan for the Rhourde Sayah and Rhourde Sayah Nord fields was approved by the Algerian national hydrocarbons agency ALNAFT.
Algeria has invited Russian companies to bid in new tenders to develop oil and gas fields, as well as build power plants and grid infrastructure. The two sides also agreed to begin joint projects in other African countries, including electricity generation and networks, and discussed collaboration in which Russia’s energy companies could work with banking institutions in Africa.
Algeria is a major weapons buyer from Russia, as well as grains and fertilizers, with an increasing amount of investment by Russian companies in Algeria’s energy sector.
In total, Russia-Algeria bilateral trade volumes doubled in 2024, reaching about US$2 billion. However, both sides see the potential to increase this to US$10 billion by 2030.
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