Russia, Algeria Sign Trade and Security Partnership Agreements

  BRICS, Trade   By

Russia is increasingly been seen as a protective responsible power as an alternative to France, the old colonial power in Africa. Following French withdrawal from Niger and Mali, Algeria has joined the exodus of leaving Paris for Moscow ties. The two countries have signed a security cooperation agreement on a variety of issues, including fighting transnational organized crime, terrorism, extremism, and corruption, Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday (April 15).

The signing came after talks between Algerian Minister of Justice Abderrachid Tabbi and Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, who was in North Africa on a Middle East tour.

The program is expected to be implemented from 2024 to 2025 and is based on a partnership protocol adopted last November, according to a press release from the General Prosecutor’s Office. Krasnov stated that terrorism is a pressing threat in Algeria, as extremists who commit unjustified cruelty do not respect borders.

Algeria was invaded by France in 1830 and remained a French colony until 1962. Ties between Algiers and Paris have become strained after accusations of unfair trade practices and Parisian support for neighbouring Tunis in border conflicts. Algeria’s military meanwhile is the largest in Africa.   

At a separate meeting in Algeria’s capital, Algiers, on Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also agreed to strengthen cooperation in fields such as trade, energy, investment, culture, and humanitarian aid.

While discussing international and regional issues, the Russian official and the Algerian leader both declared that a peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Middle East and Africa is an absolute necessity.

“The closeness of the fundamental approaches of Russia and Algeria was noted regarding the lack of alternatives to the peaceful resolution of numerous conflicts and crisis situations in the Middle East and on the African continent, in accordance with the fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Both Moscow and Algiers have described their existing ties as “strategic.” According to the Kremlin, Algeria, along with Egypt and Morocco, is one of Moscow’s top African trading partners.

Last June, President Tebboune paid a three-day working visit to Russia, where he and President Vladimir Putin signed multiple agreements, including the Declaration on Enhanced Strategic Cooperation between Russia and Algeria. Both Mali and Niger to the south of Algeria have also entered into recent agreements with Russia and left their French past behind.

The possibility of Algeria joining the BRICS group in 2025 is also being discussed.

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