Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin yesterday agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of global energy, the Kremlin announced in a statement.
According to the statement, Putin and Tebboune also agreed to intensify contacts at various levels and prepare “important” bilateral agreements, stressing that cooperation based on traditions of friendship and mutual respect are developing.
The telephone call between Putin and Tebboune came a day after Putin spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and discussed bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and energy fields, as well as cooperation within the framework of OPEC+ group to ensure the stability of the global oil market.
The ministers of the OPEC+ group are scheduled to meet today. Experts expect the group’s joint ministerial oversight committee to recommend keeping the current oil production policy unchanged.
Algeria and Russia have demonstrated close military cooperation, organising several joint military exercises, either in Algeria or Russia. It is expected that similar exercises will be held during in the country’s far western borders, with the declared aim of countering terrorism and organised crime.
The intense cooperation between the two states may lead to further pressure by Americans and Europeans. Earlier in September, Republican Lisa McClain was reported to be leading a group of members of Congress, calling on the US government to impose sanctions against Algeria for its purchase of Russian arms.
The demand is based on the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed by Congress in August 2017. Republican Senator Marco Rubio has also recently invoked this law to approve a package of sanctions against Algeria for its military ties with Moscow.
