Lieutenant General Said Chenegriha, Chief of Staff of the Algerian People’s National Army, paid a 3-day official visit to Russia last week, at the invitation of Russian Defense Minister, General of the Army  Sergei Shoigu.

In a statement, the Algerian Ministry of Defense indicated that the visit comes within the framework of strengthening cooperation between Algerian and Russian Armed Forces.

It is worth mentioning that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune paid an official visit to Moscow last month. The visit resulted in the signing of a declaration of in-depth strategic partnership between Algeria and Russia, as well as the signing of 8 agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and work programs between the governments of both countries.

The Algerian Chief of Staff held talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu who noted that the Russian-Algerian ties were developing particularly dynamically and positively.

“This is largely due to the friendly relations of trust that have developed between the leaders of our countries,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Shoigu said the Russian Defense Ministry were ready to furnish assistance to improving the combat capabilities of the Algerian Armed Forces. He further noted that Russia and Algeria had given a clear signal to the whole world that both countries were aiming to pursue an independent foreign policy and safeguard their national interests despite unprecedented pressure from the West.

“We are interested in Algeria’s leading position in strengthening regional security and stability in northern Africa,” Shoigu emphasized, adding that Russia had always supported the right of every country to make sovereign decisions on international and domestic issues, especially those related to national security.

The Chief of Staff of People’s National Army also visited Zhukovsky Air Base on the outskirts of Moscow, where he learned about some military aircrafts models and the technological developments in the field of military aeronautics. General Chanegriha was accompanied by Dmitry Shugayev. Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.

Subsequently, the Algerian Chief of Staff visited the Headquarters of the Aeronautical Technology Dynamics Company (Technodinamika) to inquire about the latest technologies and equipment in the field of basic pilot training, in particular the programs of aeronautical simulators, the Algerian Ministry of Defense reported.

Meanwhile, Sputnik news agency reported that Chengriha’s visit is part of the follow-up to the implementation of a military trade agreement, valued at $7 billion, concluded by the two countries in 2022.

Chengriha’s visit also confirms Algeria’s interest in purchasing Russian warplanes. The Algerian Air Force is mainly equipped with Russian planes and fighters, some of which date back to the Soviet Union.

In October 2021, the Special Forces participated in military exercises in North Ossetia where 200 Russian and Algerian soldiers tested modern equipment and techniques to combat terrorism in mountainous areas. The drills also included practicing modern combat techniques and new attack weapons. (Algerian Ministry of Defense; Russian Ministry of Defense; Sputnik; Photo © Algerian Ministry of Defense)