American Study Center Sheds Light On Algerian-Russian Relations

An analysis by the Washington Center for Near East Studies confirms the “strength of Algerian-Russian relations”, based on a number of evidence, especially with the beginning of Russian military operations in Ukraine since last February.
The report, entitled “Food and Energy: How North African Countries’ Domestic Concerns Shape Their Approaches to Russia,” says that “Algeria has averted making any political comment on Russia’s war on Ukraine, as the official Foreign Ministry correspondence has been limited to the status of its nationals in Ukraine and how to evacuate them.”
According to the report, “Algeria’s position can be understood in view of the pace of progress in the military relations that brought together Algeria and Moscow over the past few years, as the total value of military deals signed between Presidents Putin and Bouteflika in 2001 amounted to 2.5 billion dollars, under which Moscow provided Algeria with air and ground weapons and freely for years.
The research center provides other data to indicate the depth of the close cooperation between the two countries, and says, “Russia is the main country that supplies Algeria with grain, followed by Ukraine and France, which have recently retreated as suppliers of wheat to the Algerian market amid tense relations and Algeria’s demands that France recognize the heinous crimes committed during the colonial era.”.
In contrast to Morocco’s position, which has become more and more similar to the United States’ position on the war, the Spanish Foreign Minister accused Algeria of siding with the Russian position in response to the North African country’s abrogation of a bilateral “treaty of friendship” with Spain.
In addition to the above, the visits, according to the Washington Center, constituted confirmation of the distinguished cooperation on the Algiers-Moscow axis.
“The close relationship between the two friendly countries emerged through the visit of the head of the Russian Federal Authority for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugaev, in March 2022, and he is the first high-ranking Russian official to visit Algeria since the beginning of the year.
During the same month, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited Algeria in preparation for Blinken’s visit in late March, where he discussed the issue of security in the region and trade relations with the Algerian president.
The center estimated that Algeria’s distinguished relationship with Moscow will not anger Europe from Algeria because of the old continent’s need for gas, and stated, “Far from diplomacy, it seems that Europe needs more than ever gas supplies from Algeria amid the suspension of work on the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
However, relations between Algeria and Spain are getting more tense due to the latter’s baffling position on the Western Sahara issue, noting that Algeria had indicated in late April the possibility of stopping gas imports to Spain.
However, Algeria announced that it would fulfill its part of the current gas commitments with Madrid.