Aram Gasparyan
vol. XII(1)
Pages 51-63
Abstract: The article examines the military cooperation between Algeria and Russia,
which is of key importance for bilateral relations. The cooperation between the two
countries intensified and received a new impetus during the presidency of Abd al-Aziz
Bouteflika and Vladimir Putin. In a short time, Algeria became the largest buyer of
Russian weapons in the Middle East and North Africa, which, together with the
revenues from the sale of oil, strengthened Algeria's position and increased its
influence in the region. At the same time, military cooperation with Russia had a
significant impact on the development of political relations between the two countries.
Algeria gradually became an important strategic partner for Russia in North Africa.
In presenting the Russian-Algerian military cooperation, it is important to highlight
certain aspects that have had both positive and negative effects on this partnership
during different periods. These aspects include a shared desire for strengthening
positions, as Russia and Algeria have shown a mutual interest in bolstering their
positions and influence in the Middle East and African region; political cooperation
and similarity of positions on a number of international issues; and the Russian-
Ukrainian war, which had and has some impact on military cooperation.
The current trajectory suggests that there are no apparent factors that could impede
the deepening of the existing relationship, but taking into consideration the new
geopolitical developments in 2022 related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and
anti-Russian sanctions, Russian-Algerian relations will undergo a qualitative
transformation. The article presents a novel approach to examining the potential for
military cooperation between Russia and Algeria, taking into account the abovementioned
circumstances.
Keywords: Algeria, Russia, arm deals, Ukrainian war, military cooperation.
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