Moscow, 13 June 2023 (TDI): Abdelmadjid Tebboune, The President of Algeria, visited Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He arrived in Russia on Tuesday. This will be a three-day visit, where both presidents will discuss strengthening the relationship.
Algeria and Russia are friendly countries and both have cooperated with each other throughout history.
The invitation was given to the Algerian President when the Foreign Minister of Russia visited Algeria last year in May.
That meeting aimed at improving military cooperation and economic ties between the friendly nations.
The President of Algeria will also visit the International Economic Forum held at St. Petersburg during this week.
Also read: Algeria, Italy expand cooperation beyond Energy Sector
SPIEF serves as a platform for discussions and dialogue on key economic issues facing Russia, Europe, and the world.
The forum aims to promote investment opportunities, facilitate business partnerships, and foster economic cooperation among participants.
Backlash from the Visit
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was criticized by the Algerian media after arriving in Russia.
They said that the Algerian President should not have visited Russia while the war in Ukraine continued.
They also said that the timing of this visit can be considered as, Algeria’s support for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war.
This will also invite unwanted attention from the Western world and the president can face backlash from the Western powers.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune replied that Algeria has good relations with both Russia and the European Union.
He also said that Algeria will remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war and will not let anyone ruin his relationship with the world.
Russia and Algeria have a long history together as Russia provided weapons to Algeria since its independence.
While Algeria has good economic relations with the European Union, it will not damage its relations with Russia.
Many European countries are looking at a replacement for Russian oil and as Algeria is a gas-rich country, it has since then become Italy’s top energy supplier.
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