American Study: “Algeria Also Seeks A More Central Role On The World Stage”

An American study confirms that “Washington should consider Algeria a key partner in helping Tunisia return to a more prosperous path by strengthening multilateral and long-term efforts in which Algeria can play a major role” and warns that “Algeria has been supporting its neighbor since 2011”. From the northeastern side, economic aid has also been a major pillar of the relationship between the two neighboring countries in the face of economic and political challenges.
The Washington Center for Near East Studies recently published an extended study of bilateral relations between Algeria and Tunisia, prepared by Sabina Hennberg, Ph: “When it comes to Tunisia, Algeria’s neighbor, Algeria and the West are on the same side because they share the goal of preventing instability, even if their motives differ.
However, the tools available to Algeria to help solve these problems are based on the doctrine of non-interference that the country has always pursued in its foreign policy, so the solutions proposed so far are insufficient,” she adds, “Algeria’s need to help its neighbor get out of an immediate crisis, at least to achieve its own interests, along with its aspirations for diplomatic leadership at the regional and global levels, may provide an opportunity for Algeria to reconsider its policies and expand its engagement abroad, and for the United States and the European Union to do so, Algeria’s need to help its neighbor get out of an immediate crisis, at least to achieve its own interests, as well as its aspirations for diplomatic leadership at the regional and global levels, can provide an opportunity for Algeria to rethink its policies and expand its engagement abroad, and the United States and the European Union can help facilitate this transformation.
The study first addresses the security file and countering extremism, noting that “since the 2011 uprisings that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Libya, Algeria’s concerns about regional security have increased, particularly with regard to violent extremism.
This has had a direct impact on relations between Algeria and Tunisia. In the aftermath of these uprisings, the study notes, “Tunisian security services, which lack the experience of their Algerian counterparts in combating extremism, are in a state of disarray, leaving a vacuum that affects the areas close to the Algerian border.
In this regard, the study highlighted the ability of Algerian security services to counter the terrorist threat, noting that “cooperation between Tunisia and Algeria has improved. In particular, since the signing of a bilateral agreement in May 2014, which has bolstered the exchange of intelligence information, communication and operational coordination.
In a section related to the 1,000-kilometer border between the two countries, the study warned of the danger posed by smuggling operations, writing, “The mountainous border area between Algeria and Tunisia, which is 1,000 km long, extends along the densely populated northeastern region of Algeria, and it still represents an economic, social and security challenge for Algeria.”
The US study further noted that in recent years, Algeria has also sought to play a more central role on the world stage, and here it dealt with Algerian support, especially in the economic aspect of Tunisia, stating: “Economic assistance also constituted an important pillar of relations between the two countries, given Tunisia’s inability to overcome its economic difficulties, which were triggered by the events of 2011 and exacerbated by fundamental structural problems, and touched on financial aid packages to the eastern neighbor, and from a “loan of $ 200 million and a gift of $ 100 million in early December 2022, and Algeria maintained the low value of payments owed by Tunisia.”
In exchange for the electricity and gas that flows through the Transmed pipeline to Italy, which Tunisia reserves for its own use, it has even agreed to defer payments on certain occasions.