The Algerian president began a three-day state visit to Russia on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, “at the invitation of his counterpart Vladimir Putin“.
In reality, this trip on the sly, a bit like the one made in Portugal where he was welcomed by pretty egg throws, is rather a working visit that the oldest of the puppets of the Muppets Show made in Algeria, will make in Russia . Good to know, Putin will not have reserved any agenda for his so-called “protected” so that he makes this “summons” really a so-called state visit.
That said, the guy will first go to St. Petersburg to participate in the work that will take place during the International Economic Forum held in this city of June 14 to 17, before perhaps being welcomed by the master of the Kremlin. According to the official blablabla of Algiers, ” this visit will be an opportunity for the two countries to strengthen their cooperation in a difficult international context“ says the press release again.
It’s an open secret Algiers and Moscow have long-standing privileged relations. And for good reason, trade – excluding armaments and military cooperation – between the two countries is around three billion dollars and is largely based on this as well as on the mechanical, metallurgical and agri-food industries.
Military cooperation, of course, is not to be outdone. Moscow is a major arms supplier. Indeed, on the military level, international reports indicate that Algeria is the third largest importer of Russian weapons in the world, while Moscow is considered the first supplier of the Algerian army in weapons and military systems to more than 50%. However, and contrary to all expectations, military “cooperation” will not be on the agenda during this meeting, if there is a relevant meeting.
Algerian head of state having responded to Vladimir Putin’s invitation to meet him at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a multilateral framework, where there is strong doubt that the Russian President can devote himself exclusively to the senile Algiers. This, despite the fact that the latter is one of the very few Heads of State to participate in this economic forum in Saint Petersburg.
In the worst case, therefore, Putin and his Algerian counterpart should therefore take stock of bilateral relations and sign a few minor agreements, particularly within the framework of this famous “In-depth strategic cooperation” between the two countries. This had been announced for several months with great fanfare. Algeria and Russia will go to this stage in a complicated geopolitical situation for the Russians because of the conflict with Ukraine and to the great displeasure of Algiers, there will be little question of any acquisition of military equipment.
Brief, this visit that Algiers has been preparing since 2021 to sign a “new historic partnership” a renewal of the “declaration of strategic cooperation” by which Algiers and Moscow have been linked since 2001 is a splash in the water. Indeed, these agreements encompass a whole (economy, defence, etc.) but the military side, a large part of the cake, is hidden, all the more so since the Economic Forum in which Algiers participates is global and is not intended only for to Algeria exclusively, thereby being a multilateral framework.
Curiously, this little tour and then leaves or this visit or even this convocation which was planned for May has been postponed to June a bit like the one that the senile from Algiers was to perform in France. Except that for the latter, it has once again been postponed to a few other calends. According to press information, this Algiers-Paris trip is ” under discussion between the two parties to find a suitable date “. Time will tell !