Since its independence from France in 1962, Algeria has pursued an activist foreign policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Algeria was noted for its support of Third World policies and independence movements. Since its independence, Algeria has been a member of the Arab League, the African Union and of the United Nations.
Following its independence in 1962, Algeria developed deep ties with many foreign countries with a heavy presence in the global scene. The Algerian government, pursuing the dynamics that had started during the Algerian War for Independence and into the Cold War used the country's strategic geopolitical position – at the crossroads of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian world – to assert its own interests. Algeria came to see itself as a full actor in the Cold War and not simply a bystander caught in a crossfire between the Western and Eastern blocks. Moreover, Algeria played a central role in the creation of the Third World as a global political project, using its position at the intersection of international agendas – notably between non-alignment and Afro-Asianism positions, and between anticolonial and socialist movements.
Being a newly independent country from colonial rule of a Western power – France – and having waged a liberation war with a socialist orientation, Algeria was naturally inclined to turn towards the Soviet Union and its allies. However, the country's strategic advantages increased its importance to the eyes of the Western block. Primarily, France wanted to preserve its interests in the oil and gas exploitations in Algeria. As Charles de Gaulle stated to the Algerian finance minister in 1963, "If the Algerian government respects its commitments and takes into account our interests, it can count on our cooperation". Hence, French economic aid continued to flow in Algeria, to ensure control on the petroleum and gas industry as well as maintain continued use of Algerian soil to run atomic tests in the Saharan desert. Under Ben Bella, diplomatic relations with France were normalized, the negotiations concerning oil and gas leading to an agreement in 1964. As to the United States, they wanted to prevent Algeria from becoming yet another socialist country joining the ranks of the Soviet block. Hence, along with minor military equipment, the United States provided Algeria with a food program (PL-480) which delivered free food to the population. However, the Algerian commitment to supporting anti-colonial movements in Africa went against American interests in the continent, which led to an indirect conflict with the United States and an increasingly hostile relationship between the two countries.
During the war for independence, the ALN had already benefitted from equipment, training and advice from communist countries: the USSR (though its help was quite timid until the final months of the war), China, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Moreover, ALN delegations had visited China and North Vietnam to learn from their guerrilla strategies. Help and support from the communist bloc therefore increased after independence:
The Sino-Soviet split strengthened the two communist countries' competition for Algeria. However, China was inferior economically and militarily to the USSR, and could not match the USSR's industrial equipment and sophisticated armaments. Moreover, as the autogestion model proved to be widely inefficient, Algeria started to move towards a more centralized and Soviet-style economy by the end of 1964.
Ben Bella's foreign policy was marked by globalism, as it was not restrained to a specific culture nor geographical region. Rather, the project of the Third World and its diverse manifestations – the Non-Aligned Movement, the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, etc. – were meant to include all the developing and anti-imperialist countries, and Algeria intended to play a major role in its development.
This role is perfectly summarized by Amilcar Cabral's – leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde – famous declaration that Algeria was the "Mecca of revolution". Indeed, the Algerian foreign policy had been influenced by Frantz Fanon's and other radical Third World thinkers' urgings to "export revolution" to other countries suffering from the yoke of imperial oppression. Therefore, the support of armed nationalists and revolutionaries was one of the foundations of Algerian relations with African countries. Ever since 1960, the FLN camps in Algeria's neighboring countries (Morocco, Tunisia and Mali) had been used to provide training and material help to revolutionary movements. By 1963, Algeria was offering refuge, funds, weapons and training to rebels from a dozen African countries: the left-wing opposition in Morocco, the secessionist Sanwi government in Ivory Coast, the Sawaba party in Niger, the CNL (or "Simbas") in Congo-Leopoldville, the UPC in Cameroon, the MPLA and FNLA in Angola (250 recruits were trained in Algeria and 70 tons of armaments were sent to this country), and several armed groups in Zanzibar, Portuguese Guinea, South Africa and Namibia.
However, the Third World project also materialized through the various conferences and international organizations that united developing countries. Firstly, the Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded in Belgrade in 1961, and which Algeria joined shortly after its independence, defined the concept of non-alignment in the Cold War as a way for poor countries to exploit the conflicts and tensions and hence to promote their own interests. According to Jeffrey J. Byrne, the Algerian conception of the Non-Aligned Movement was that of a "political, goal-oriented and geographically unbounded anti-imperial solidarity". The Third World coalition could therefore encompass Latin America countries, and even Europe ones like Yugoslavia. Algeria was particularly important in this sense, as it acted as a bridge between blocs and regions. For instance, its position at the crossroads of the Arab and the sub-Saharan worlds enabled Algeria to create links and unity between these two regions: at Algeria's request, Arab countries supported Angolan and other African revolutions, while African countries endorsed the Palestinian cause. However, these global Third World solidarity links went further than Africa: for example, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam opened a permanent office in Algiers (one of only two that were located in non-communist countries). One of the most successful Third World projects was the Organization of African Unity, founded in Addis Ababa in 1963 to formalize and institutionalize the main Third World principles. Moreover, Algeria advocated for the creation within the organization of a "liberation committee", the "Committee of Nine", to support national liberation movements (even by military means). This embodies the Algerian view of Third Worldism: the institutionalization of collective defiance towards the imperial system.
Therefore, if the multipolarity of international relations – the traditional East versus West bipolarism, but also the intra-communist poles and the development of Third World alternatives – had benefitted the non-aligned states such as Algeria, the latter's increasing reliance on the Soviet Union – especially since the Sand War against Morocco in 1963 – risked jeopardizing the country's independence and its relations with other powers, such as the United States or China.
Algerian foreign relations during the presidency of Houari Boumediene marked a shift towards more stable and Algero-centered policies, in opposition to Ben Bella's cosmopolitism. However, this greater focus on the country's economic needs and traditional Islamic culture did not end the period of international ambitions.
Pan-Africanism and Pan-Arabism were strengthened during the Boumediene era. Algeria had joined the Arab League in 1962, and hosted its 1973 summit in Algiers. This strong relation with other Arab countries, notably with Egypt, was reinforced after Boumediene's seizure of power. For instance, in 1966, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser sent thousands of teachers to support Algeria in the Arabization of its educational system. After Nasser's death in 1970, Boumediene increasingly represented the political project of Pan-Arabism; and in 1973, Algeria played a major role in the organization of the war against Israel, as well as calling for oil to be used as a weapon in the OPEC. Moreover, in 1969, Algiers hosted the Pan-African Cultural Festival: this grandiose display of an African identity, forged from the continent's common experience of Western imperialism, reunited anticolonial militants from numerous countries of the Third World. Far from being opposed, Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism were, under Algerian influence, united: Boumediène summoned an extraordinary session of the Organization for African Unity following the Kippur War in 1973, which resulted in the creation of a special committee to coordinate the Organization and the Arab League, and in the break of diplomatic relations of 42 African states with Israel. Finally, Boumediène presided over a larger and more powerful Non-Aligned Movement in 1973.
Algeria's approach to international politics was motivated by the need for a "liberation" from the Western neocolonial economic superiority. Hence, in October 1967, Algiers hosted the meeting of the "Group of 77", which united 77 developing countries on major revendications: a global reform of the terms of trade and a greater collaboration between Third World countries to set the prices for their raw materials. Furthermore, the main points of Boumediene's address to the United Nations General Assembly in 1974 – reparations for colonization and a transfer of resources from North to South – were adopted by UN. The notion of a "new international economic order" emerged as a way to reshape the world economy to the benefit of developing countries, based on the principle of sovereign equality between states.
Boumediene took pride in Algeria's non-aligned status, by claiming its distance from both Soviet-style socialism and Western capitalism, while the country enjoyed an increasing prosperity. However, support from the Communist bloc did not halt. Indeed, because of their dependence on raw materials and their lack of hard currencies, commerce between Third World countries was negligible. The USSR, on the contrary, was able to deliver military equipment, industrial expertise, and trade outputs: the Soviets replaced France as the first destination for Algerian wine, and provided 200,000 tons of wheat when a drought hit the country in 1966.
Once again, the support Algeria received from the Soviet bloc was not exclusive to that of the Western bloc. Even though Boumediene took strong public stands, as when he claimed in 1969 after a summer of violence against Algerians living in France that if the French government could not insure the security of Algerian immigrants, he would repatriate them regardless of the cost, Algerian-French relations were progressively normalized during the 1970 decade. This posturing, like the nationalization of oil in 1971, served to increase his popularity in internal politics. However, France remained a model of prosperity, Algeria was still heavily dependent on France economically, and in 1975, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing made the first presidential visit since independence. More generally, Algeria continued to do business with the West, and avoided to be overly dependent on Soviet support. Indeed, despite the break of relations with the United States after the Six-Day War in 1967, the Americans had almost replaced France as Algeria's primary trade partner by the early 1970s. Therefore, the competition between the West and the USSR gave Algeria opportunities to diversify its economic partnerships.
Since his inauguration in 1999, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sought to extend Algeria's international influence, traveling extensively throughout the world. In July 2001, he became the first Algerian President to visit the US White House in 16 years. [1]
He made official visits, among others, to France, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Germany, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
On 24 August 2021, Algeria cut diplomatic relations with neighbouring Morocco, accusing Morocco of supporting a separatist group and hostile actions against Algeria. Morocco called the decision unjustified. [2]
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Algeria has tried to keep good relations with both Russia and the West by remaining neutral at the UN on other votes. [3]
List of countries which Algeria maintains diplomatic relations with:
# | Country | Date |
---|---|---|
1 | North Korea | 25 September 1958 [4] |
2 | China | 20 December 1958 [5] |
3 | Mongolia | 25 June 1961 [6] |
4 | Russia | 19 March 1962 [7] |
5 | Czech Republic | 23 March 1962 [8] |
6 | Hungary | 7 April 1962 [9] |
7 | Romania | 16 April 1962 [10] |
8 | Poland | 2 May 1962 [11] |
9 | Serbia | 2 July 1962 [12] |
10 | Germany | 3 July 1962 [13] |
11 | France | 5 July 1962 [14] |
12 | India | July 1962 [15] |
13 | Syria | 27 August 1962 [16] |
14 | United States | 29 September 1962 [17] |
15 | Italy | 1 October 1962 [18] |
— | Morocco (suspended) | 1 October 1962 [19] |
16 | Cuba | 7 October 1962 [20] |
17 | Bulgaria | 10 October 1962 [21] |
18 | Norway | 27 October 1962 [22] |
19 | Vietnam | 28 October 1962 [23] |
20 | Netherlands | October 1962 [24] |
21 | Egypt | 8 November 1962 [25] |
22 | Switzerland | 13 November 1962 [26] |
23 | Tunisia | 13 November 1962 [27] |
24 | United Kingdom | 21 November 1962 [28] |
25 | Brazil | 28 November 1962 [29] |
26 | Japan | 28 November 1962 [30] |
27 | Belgium | 11 December 1962 [31] |
28 | Lebanon | 18 December 1962 [32] |
29 | Spain | 18 December 1962 [33] |
30 | Jordan | December 1962 [32] |
31 | Sri Lanka | 1962 [34] |
32 | Finland | 18 January 1963 [35] |
33 | Austria | 25 January 1963 [36] |
34 | Albania | 12 February 1963 [27] |
35 | Ghana | 2 May 1963 [27] |
36 | Chile | 4 June 1963 [37] |
37 | Turkey | 30 June 1963 [38] |
38 | Sweden | 19 July 1963 [27] |
39 | Mali | 22 July 1963 [27] |
40 | Pakistan | 16 August 1963 [39] |
41 | Libya | 24 August 1963 [27] |
42 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | August 1963 [27] |
43 | Saudi Arabia | August 1963 [27] |
44 | Denmark | 3 September 1963 [40] |
45 | Indonesia | 20 December 1963 [41] |
46 | Cameroon | 1 January 1964 [42] |
47 | Republic of the Congo | 4 January 1964 [42] |
48 | Luxembourg | 21 January 1964 [43] |
49 | Guinea | 24 January 1964 [44] |
50 | Tanzania | 21 February 1964 [45] |
51 | Mauritania | 9 April 1964 [46] |
52 | Senegal | 9 April 1964 [27] |
53 | Madagascar | 15 June 1964 [42] |
54 | Argentina | 18 June 1964 [47] |
55 | Kenya | 23 June 1964 [48] |
56 | Uruguay | 21 August 1964 [49] |
57 | Mexico | 21 October 1964 [50] |
58 | Benin | 7 November 1964 [51] |
59 | Kuwait | 23 November 1964 [52] |
60 | Malaysia | 26 November 1964 [53] |
61 | Yemen | 22 December 1964 [54] |
62 | Niger | 12 March 1965 [55] |
63 | Ivory Coast | 21 July 1965 [56] |
64 | Canada | 12 November 1965 [57] |
65 | Sudan | 22 December 1965 [58] |
66 | Uganda | 1965 [59] |
67 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1965 [60] |
68 | Greece | 15 April 1966 [61] |
69 | Cambodia | 2 December 1966 [62] |
70 | Burkina Faso | 10 January 1967 [42] |
71 | Nepal | 29 April 1968 [63] |
72 | Nigeria | 2 September 1968 [42] |
73 | Myanmar | 15 November 1968 [64] |
74 | Afghanistan | December 1969 [65] |
75 | Central African Republic | 9 October 1970 [66] |
76 | Venezuela | 23 March 1971 [67] |
77 | Iraq | 15 July 1971 [68] |
78 | Liberia | 31 December 1971 [69] |
— | Holy See | 6 March 1972 [70] |
79 | Peru | 10 March 1972 [71] |
80 | Sierra Leone | 7 April 1972 [72] |
81 | Burundi | April 1972 [73] |
82 | Gambia | 22 May 1972 [74] |
83 | Zambia | 15 January 1973 [75] |
84 | Panama | 9 February 1973 [76] |
85 | Laos | 15 May 1973 [77] |
86 | Ecuador | 2 July 1973 [78] |
87 | United Arab Emirates | 6 July 1973 [79] |
88 | Qatar | 18 July 1973 [80] |
89 | Bangladesh | 30 July 1973 [81] |
90 | Gabon | 8 September 1973 [42] |
91 | Guinea-Bissau | 13 May 1974 [82] |
92 | Australia | 8 July 1974 [83] |
93 | Iran | 1 November 1974 [84] |
94 | Malta | 22 January 1975 [85] |
95 | Jamaica | 30 January 1975 [86] |
96 | Ireland | January 1975 [87] |
97 | Portugal | 7 March 1975 [88] |
98 | Philippines | 10 April 1975 [89] |
99 | Chad | 18 August 1975 [90] |
100 | Rwanda | 25 November 1975 [42] |
101 | Thailand | 6 December 1975 [91] |
102 | Mauritius | 12 February 1976 [92] |
— | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 6 March 1976 [93] |
103 | Guyana | 20 September 1976 [94] |
104 | Angola | 19 October 1977 [95] |
105 | Cape Verde | 19 October 1977 [96] |
106 | Djibouti | 10 October 1978 [97] |
107 | Colombia | 1 January 1979 [98] |
108 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 7 January 1979 [97] |
109 | Comoros | 27 February 1979 [97] |
110 | Barbados | 18 April 1979 [99] |
111 | Grenada | 18 September 1979 [99] |
112 | Seychelles | 26 January 1980 [100] |
113 | Zimbabwe | 31 August 1980 [101] |
114 | Malawi | 19 June 1981 [102] |
115 | Nicaragua | September 1981 [103] |
116 | Suriname | 30 March 1982 [99] |
117 | Singapore | 12 May 1983 [104] |
118 | Iceland | 17 May 1983 [105] |
119 | Bahrain | 19 November 1983 [106] |
120 | Lesotho | 1983 [107] |
121 | Oman | May 1984 [108] |
122 | New Zealand | 29 October 1985 [109] |
123 | Vanuatu | 15 July 1986 [99] |
124 | Maldives | 8 March 1988 [99] |
— | State of Palestine | 16 December 1988 [110] |
125 | Antigua and Barbuda | 1 November 1989 [99] |
126 | South Korea | 15 January 1990 [99] |
127 | Guatemala | 31 January 1990 [99] |
128 | Costa Rica | 13 March 1990 [99] |
129 | Namibia | 21 March 1990 [111] |
130 | Uzbekistan | 30 June 1992 [112] |
131 | Ukraine | 10 August 1992 [113] |
132 | Slovenia | 12 October 1992 [114] |
133 | Croatia | 15 October 1992 [115] |
134 | Armenia | 30 December 1992 [116] |
135 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 [117] |
136 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20 January 1993 [118] |
137 | Georgia | 27 May 1993 [119] |
138 | Eritrea | 25 March 1994 [120] |
139 | Moldova | 12 April 1994 [121] |
140 | Lithuania | 15 April 1994 [122] |
141 | Azerbaijan | 22 April 1994 [123] |
142 | South Africa | 10 May 1994 [124] |
143 | Turkmenistan | 21 September 1994 [125] |
144 | Honduras | 21 October 1994 [99] |
145 | Eswatini | 1994 [126] |
146 | Brunei | 24 January 1995 [127] |
147 | Paraguay | 3 February 1995 [99] |
148 | Belarus | 24 October 1995 [128] |
149 | Kazakhstan | 15 March 1996 [129] |
150 | Kyrgyzstan | 21 December 1996 [130] |
151 | Estonia | 19 March 1997 [131] |
152 | Tajikistan | 10 June 1997 [132] |
153 | Latvia | 29 April 1998 [133] |
154 | Belize | 28 November 2001 [99] |
155 | North Macedonia | 21 March 2002 [134] |
156 | Timor-Leste | 20 May 2002 [135] |
157 | San Marino | 13 February 2003 [136] |
158 | Andorra | 29 March 2005 [99] |
159 | Liechtenstein | 21 October 2005 [137] |
160 | Dominica | 22 June 2006 [99] |
161 | El Salvador | 20 December 2006 [99] |
162 | Monaco | 31 January 2007 [99] |
163 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7 February 2007 [99] |
164 | Montenegro | 24 September 2007 [99] |
165 | Dominican Republic | 26 September 2007 [99] |
166 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 October 2007 [138] |
167 | Fiji | 2 June 2010 [99] |
168 | Tuvalu | 6 June 2012 [99] |
169 | Solomon Islands | 7 June 2012 [99] |
170 | South Sudan | 9 September 2015 [99] |
171 | Marshall Islands | 26 September 2019 [99] |
172 | Kiribati | 21 October 2019 [139] |
173 | Botswana | 10 August 2022 [140] |
174 | Saint Lucia | 19 December 2022 [99] |
175 | Bahamas | 1 May 2024 [99] |
176 | Bolivia | Unknown |
177 | Cyprus | Unknown |
178 | Equatorial Guinea | Unknown |
179 | Ethiopia | Unknown |
180 | Mozambique | Unknown |
181 | Somalia | Unknown |
182 | Togo | Unknown |
Algeria has friendly relations with other countries in the Maghreb, Tunisia and Libya, and with Sub-Saharan countries Mali and Niger. Algeria has taken the lead in working on issues related to the African continent. Host of the Organisation of African Unity Conference in 2000, Algeria also was key in bringing Ethiopia and Eritrea to the peace table in 2000. It has worked closely with other African countries to establish the New Partnership for Africa's Development. Algeria has taken a lead in reviving the Arab Maghreb Union with other regional Arab countries.
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Egypt | See Algeria–Egypt relations
| |
Ethiopia | 1968 |
|
Ghana | 1962 |
|
Kenya | 23 June 1964 | See Algeria–Kenya relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 June 1964 when the Algerian ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Nouredien Djoudi, presented his credentials to the Governor-General. [48]
|
Libya | 24 August 1963 | See Algeria–Libya relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 August 1963. [27] Algeria–Libya relations have generally been amicable. [141] Libyan support for the Polisario in the Western Sahara facilitated early post independence Algerian relations with Libya. [141] Libyan inclinations for full-scale political union, however, have obstructed formal political collaboration because Algeria has consistently backed away from such cooperation with its unpredictable neighbour. [141] (A vote by the CCN (Algeria) on June 30, 1987, actually supported union between Libya and Algeria, but the proposal was later retracted by the FLN Central Committee after the heads of state failed to agree. [141] ) The Treaty of Oujda between Libya and Morocco, which represented a response to Algeria's Treaty of Fraternity and Concord with Tunisia, temporarily aggravated Algerian-Libyan relations by establishing a political divide in the region--Libya and Morocco on one side; Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania on the other. [141] Finally, in 1988 Libya was invited to participate in the Inter-Maghrib commission that was responsible for developing the North African Union. [141] The establishment of the UMA in February 1989 marked the first formal political or economic collaboration between the two neighbours. [141] |
Madagascar | 15 June 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 June 1964 [142]
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Mali | 22 July 1963 | See Algeria–Mali relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 July 1963. [44]
|
Mauritania | 1964 | See Algeria–Mauritania relations
|
Morocco | 1 October 1962 | See Algeria–Morocco relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 October 1962. [143] Severed diplomatic relations 27 February 1976, restored 16 May 1988, cuts diplomatic relations 24 August 2021. [144] Algeria–Morocco relations have been dominated by the issue of self-determination for the Western Sahara since their independence. The national integrity of this former colonial territory has caused a deep-seated antagonism and general mistrust between the two nations that has permeated all aspects of Moroccan-Algerian relations. Algeria's interest in the region dates back to the 1960s and 1970s when it joined Morocco, Mauritania & Libya in efforts to remove the Spanish from the territory. After Spain announced its intention to abandon the province, then known as Spanish Sahara, in 1975, the united front presented by the Maghreb nations quickly disintegrated, as a result of Morocco, and subsequently Mauritania, staking claims to the territory. Algeria, although not asserting any territorial ambitions of its own, was averse to the absorption of the territory by any of its neighbors and called for self-determination for the Saharawi people. Before the Spanish evacuation, Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania agreed to divide the territory and transfer the major part to Morocco and the remaining southern portion to Mauritania. This agreement violated a United Nations (UN) resolution that declared all historical claims on the part of Mauritania or Morocco to be insufficient to justify territorial absorption and drew heavy Algerian criticism. [141]
|
Niger | 12 March 1965 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1965 when the government of Niger has agreed to the nomination of M. Ali Abdellaoui as Algeria's Ambassador in Niamey with residence in Abidjan [55]
In August 2023, Algeria proposed a six-month civilian-led transition to resolve Niger's political crisis, diverging from potential military intervention discussed by ECOWAS, emphasizing diplomacy and seeking UN involvement while hosting a conference on Sahel region development. Algeria also denied France's alleged request for military operations in Niger. [145] |
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 6 March 1976 | See Algeria–Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic relations Since 1976, Algeria has supported the Polisario Front, a group claiming to represent the population of Western Sahara, which is based among the 90,000 Sahrawi refugees who reside in refugee camps in Algeria. Contending that the Sahrawis have a right to self-determination under the UN Charter, Algeria has provided the Polisario with material, financial, and political support and sanctuary in southwestern Algeria's Tindouf Province. UN involvement in the Western Sahara includes MINURSO, a peacekeeping force, and UNHCR, for refugee assistance and resettlement. Active diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute under the auspices of the Special Representative of the Secretary General are on-going. Although the land border between Morocco and Algeria was closed in the wake of a terrorist attack, the two have worked at improving relations.
|
South Africa | 10 May 1994 | See Algeria–South Africa relations Both countries established full diplomatic relations on 10 May 1994 [147]
|
Sudan | 22 December 1965 | See Algeria–Sudan relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 December 1965. [58]
|
Tunisia | 13 November 1962 | See Algeria–Tunisia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 13 November 1962. [148] Smaller and in a more precarious position vis-à-vis Libya, Tunisia has consistently made efforts to align with Algeria. [141] In the 1970s, Tunisia reversed its position on the Western Sahara so as not to antagonize Algerian authorities. [141] Tunisia was the first nation to sign the Treaty of Fraternity and Concord with Algeria, in 1983. [141] Throughout Algeria's independent history, it has joined in a number of economic ventures with Tunisia, including the transnational pipeline running from Algeria through Tunisia to Italy. [141] In 1987 the departure from power in Tunisia of President Habib Bourguiba and his replacement by the more diplomatic Zine el Abidine Ben Ali brought the two nations closer again. [141] |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 18 June 1964 | See Algeria–Argentina relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 June 1964 [47]
On November 18, 2008, the President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner made an official visit to Algiers and met her counterpart, the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. |
Brazil | December 1962 | See Algeria–Brazil relations
|
Canada | 29 May 1964 | See Algeria–Canada relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 May 1964. [149] |
Cuba | 17 October 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 October 1962 [151] Cuba and Algeria formed strong diplomatic links due to their historical and ideological proximity. Indeed, despite their geographical distance, the two countries saw themselves as the models of a successful socialist revolution against imperialist forces. Moreover, they more pragmatically believed that to defend themselves from American hostility, they ought to encourage revolutions elsewhere in Latin America and in Africa as to distract the United States and create new allies. Hence, guerrilla hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara visited Algeria twice, from October 1963 to February 1964, and in February 1965, and Cuban President Fidel Castro made a grand official visit to Algeria in 1972. Cuba also sent large quantities of military equipment (two ships, a unity of tanks and 700 soldiers) to Algeria in 1963 during the Sand War with Morocco. Indeed, once again, Algeria was a point of contact between African rebels and potential supporting countries such as Cuba. This relationship was mutually beneficial: Algeria received Argentinian training guerrilleros, a delegation of the Venezuelan National Liberation Front, and even sent armaments to the latter (in an Algerian ship, as to avoid American control) at Cuba's request. [152] [153]
|
Mexico | 21 October 1964 | See Algeria–Mexico relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 October 1964 [154]
|
Peru | 10 March 1972 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 March 1972. [157]
|
United States | 29 September 1962 | See Algeria–United States relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 September 1962 [158] Military cooperation between the United States and Algeria were less sensible than that with the Soviet Union, and Algerian purchases in the early years of independence were mostly restrained to American planes. However, the intermediary role played by Algeria during the Iranian hostage crisis generated the purchase of general military equipment in 1985 through the Foreign Military Sales program. [159] Even though the United States were initially positively inclined to develop strong diplomatic links with the newly independent Algerian state, their relations declined rapidly. Indeed, the Algerian official declarations against American interventionism in Africa and as far as North Vietnam, and their support to left-wing revolutionary groups against American-supported regimes (notably in Angola, but also in Latin America through their close connections with Cuba) increased the hostility against Algeria in American opinion. The United States feared that Algeria was more favorable to the communist bloc and risked threatening their interests. Moreover, the Algerians resented the American failure to deliver the kind of assistance they requested: although the PL-480 food program provided food to millions of Algerians, the government sought to develop its economy through wider and long-term industrial programs. As Foreign Affairs Minister Bouteflika stated in 1965, "The US gives us bread; what we need is work. We need factories that create things and give work to our people". However, despite the break of diplomatic relations with the United States in 1967 following the Six-Day War, their economic exchanges did not stop. Indeed, the United States had nearly replaced France as Algeria's first trade partner by the beginning of the 1970s. [152] In July 2001, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika became the first Algerian President to visit the White House since 1985. This visit, followed by a second meeting in November 2001, a meeting in New York in September 2003, and President Bouteflika's participation at the June 2004 G8 Sea Island Summit, is indicative of the growing relationship between the United States and Algeria. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, contacts in key areas of mutual concern, including law enforcement and counter-terrorism cooperation, have intensified. Algeria publicly condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States and has been strongly supportive of the international war against terrorism. The United States and Algeria consult closely on key international and regional issues. The pace and scope of senior-level visits has accelerated. In April 2006, then-Foreign Minister Bedjaoui met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Bangladesh | 30 July 1973 | See Algeria–Bangladesh relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 July 1973 [81]
|
China | 20 December 1958 [160] | See Algeria–China relations
|
India | 2 July 1962 | See Algeria–India relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 July 1962 [161]
|
Indonesia | 1963 | See Algeria–Indonesia relations
|
Iran | 1964, severed diplomatic relations 27 March 1993, restored 8 September 2001 | See Algeria–Iran relations
|
Iraq | 1962, severed diplomatic relations 1979, restored September 2001 | |
Israel | See Algeria–Israel relations Algeria has never had official diplomatic relations with Israel. In the mid 90s, while Israel and north African states slowly started diplomatic relations, Algeria remained one of the last countries to consider such a move. It was only when Israeli's President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Barak met Algerian President Abdalziz Bouteflika at the funeral of Moroccan King Hassan ll on July 25, 1999, that comments about rapprochement were made. [162] | |
Japan | 28 November 1962 | See Algeria–Japan relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 November 1962. [163] The Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) opened a representative office in Tokyo in 1958. A Japanese embassy was opened in Algiers in 1964, and an Algerian embassy was opened in Tokyo the same year. Japan has extended extensive technological assistance to Algeria and cultural exchange programs are numerous [164]
|
Malaysia | 26 November 1964 | See Algeria–Malaysia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 November 1964 [165] Algeria has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
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Maldives | 8 March 1988 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 March 1988 [166] |
Pakistan | 16 August 1963 | See Algeria-Pakistan relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 August 1963. [39] Algeria enjoys friendly relations with Pakistan, which offered support during Algeria's struggle for independence. Pakistan was the first country to recognize the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Algeria" in exile on 19 September 1958 and facilitating the opening of an official mission in Karachi (Pakistan), even before Algeria's independence was formally declared.
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Palestine | 16 December 1988 | See Algeria-Palestine relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 December 1988 [110] Algeria has been a strong proponent of the rights of the Palestinian people, calling publicly for an end to violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. |
Qatar | 18 July 1973 | See Algeria–Qatar relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 July 1973 [80]
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Saudi Arabia | 1962 | See Algeria–Saudi Arabia relations |
Singapore | 12 May 1983 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 May 1983 [167]
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Syria | 27 August 1962 | See Algeria–Syria relations
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Turkey | 1962 [169] | See also Algeria–Turkey relations
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United Arab Emirates | 6 July 1973 | See Algeria–United Arab Emirates relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 July 1973 when UAE officially opened an embassy in Algiers [79] |
Vietnam | 28 October 1962 | See Algeria–Vietnam relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 October 1962. [175]
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Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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Cyprus | 3 April 1979 | See Algeria–Cyprus relations Cyprus and Algeria have concluded various agreements. For example, in November 1997, Algeria and Cyprus agreed on a framework for maritime exchanges between the two countries, lifting obstacles on the free movement of ships and offering preferential treatment at the ports in both countries. [176] In December 1999 Algeria and Cyprus signed an air transport agreement to introduce a legal framework governing air routes between Algeria and Cyprus. [177] In July 2000, Algerian news agency APS signed a cooperation agreement with the Cypriot news agency [178] that covers exchange of English news items and photographs. [179] In December 2001, the Algerian firm Sonatrach and Cyprus oil company Medex Petroleum signed an exploration deal covering the north of Bordj Omar Idriss in the Illizi basin in south-eastern Algeria. [180] Cyprus is considering Algeria as a potential partner to assist with extracting untapped oil and gas from the island's exclusive economic zone. Other partners being considered are Libya, Russian and Algeria – full details of the negotiations have not yet been released to the public domain. [181] |
France | 3 July 1962 | See Algeria–France relations In the early 1990s, nearly 20 percent of all Algerian exports and imports were destined for or originated from France. More than 1 million Algerians resided in France and there were numerous francophones in Algeria, creating a tremendous cultural overlap. French remained the language of instruction in most schools and the language used in more than two-thirds of all newspapers and periodicals and on numerous television programs. Algeria and France share a cultural background that transcends diplomatic maneuvers and has persisted throughout periods of "disenchantment" and strained relations. Over time, however, the arabization of Algeria and the increasing polarization of society between the francophone elite and the Arab masses have mobilized anti-French sentiment. Support for the arabization of Algerian society—including the elimination of French as the second national language and emphasis on an arabized education curriculum—and the recent success of the FIS indicate a growing fervor in Algeria for asserting an independent national identity. Such an identity emphasizes its Arab and Islamic cultural tradition rather than its French colonial past. However, France's support for the military regime that assumed power in early 1992 indicates that the cooperative relations between the two countries remain strong. [141] |
Germany | 1 October 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 October 1962. [182] |
Greece | 1962 | See Algeria–Greece relations Relations between the two countries have been traditionally friendly since Algeria's first years of independence. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Greece was among the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Algeria after its independence in 1962, by upgrading the then Greek Consulate General in Algiers to an embassy in 1963. [183] As of 2009, the two countries had in place three bilateral agreements:
The Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Greece in February 2001, returning a previous visit paid by the Foreign Minister of Greece to Algeria. [183] [184] In 2003, Greek [National] Defence Minister Ioannos Papandoniou visited Algeria to discuss ways to consolidate military cooperation between Algeria and Greece. [185] Since 2000, Algeria has supplied Greece with natural gas by virtue of a long-term Agreement between the two countries. The liquefied natural gas is transported by special vessels before eventually reaching the appropriate plant located in Megara, Attica. [186] The exports of Algerian products to Greece amounted to $89 million in 2001, including mainly oil and oil derivatives, natural gas, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel. In the same year, Greek exports to Algeria amounted to $50.78 million, consisting mainly of cereals and related derivatives, tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, medical and non-ferrous minerals. [183] In 2007, Algeria was ranked 6th among Greece's Arab trade partners. [187]
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Holy See | 6 March 1972 | See Algeria–Holy See relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 March 1972. [188]
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Italy | 1 October 1962 | See Algeria–Italy relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 October 1962. [189] Two countries have a strong connection, as northern part of Algeria's today was formerly territory of the Roman Empire which was originally from modern-day Italy. Italy and Algeria's relations is viewed as important for stability in the region. [190]
Italy is also Algeria's top commercial partner, with an exchange worth 8.67 billion dollars and a volume of imports of 4.41 billion, or 17.24% of global Algerian exports. [191] |
Poland | 2 May 1962 | See Algeria–Poland relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 May 1962. [192]
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Portugal | 7 March 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 March 1975. [193]
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Romania | 16 April 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 April 1962. [194]
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Russia | 23 March 1962 | See Algeria–Russia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 March 1962. [197] Algeria and Russia have had a strong military cooperation since the Algerian independence, as Algiers turned towards the USSR for purchasing armaments. Indeed, from 1962 to 1989, Algeria spent approximately 11 billion dollars for Soviet weapons: planes (MiG-21, MiG-23 et Su-24), tanks (T-55 et T-72), armored vehicles, several ships (including submarines), light weapons and ammunition. [159]
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Serbia | 5 July 1962 | See Algeria–Serbia relations Algeria and Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) formed a strong diplomatic relation shortly after the Algerian independence, marked by economic, military but also ideological cooperation. Indeed, the Yugoslavian economic system constituted a model for the Algerian-style autogestion experimented in the early Ben Bella years. Henceforth, the Yugoslavian government sent technical advisers and agricultural material to Algeria. Moreover, Yugoslavia and Algeria shared similar views on international matters, such as the necessity for the extension of the Non-Aligned Movement. Indeed, Tito saw in Algeria a way to legitimate the possibility of diversity in socialism, rather than the imposed and monolithic Soviet-model. Their alliance was also geopolitically strategic: Algeria constituted a gate into the African and Arab worlds for Yugoslavia, who intended to create stronger links with this continent. Therefore, while Yugoslavia benefited from Algerian close relations with African countries, Algeria could use Yugoslavian greater military and logistical resources to pursue its program of exporting revolution in the continent. [153] [198]
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Spain | 18 December 1962 | See Algeria–Spain relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 December 1962. [201] |
Ukraine | 20 August 1992 | See Algeria–Ukraine relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 August 1992. [202]
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Botswana has put a premium on economic and political integration in southern Africa. It has sought to make the Southern African Development Community (SADC) a working vehicle for economic development, and it has promoted efforts to make the region self-policing in terms of preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution, and good governance.
Burkina Faso has good relations with the European Union, African and certain Asian countries.
The foreign relations of Chad are significantly influenced by the desire for oil revenue and investment in Chadian oil industry and support for former Chadian President Idriss Déby. Chad is officially non-aligned but maintains close relations with France, its former colonial power. Relations with neighbouring countries Libya and Sudan vary periodically. Lately, the Idris Déby regime waged an intermittent proxy war with Sudan. Aside from those two countries, Chad generally enjoys good relations with its neighbouring states.
The Foreign relations of Egypt are the Egyptian government's external relations with the outside world. Egypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Africa, the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia, and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole. Cairo has been a crossroads of the Mediterranean's, Africa's and Asia's commerce and culture for millennia, and its intellectual and religious institutions are at the center of the region's social and cultural landmarks.
Gabon has followed a non-aligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Angola, and former Zaire. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in the Republic of Congo between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the UN Peacekeeping Mission to the Central African Republic (MINURCA).
The foreign relations of Ghana are controlled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana. Ghana is active in the United Nations and many of its specialised agencies, the World Trade Organization, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States. Ghana generally follows the consensus of the Non-aligned Movement and the OAU on economic and political issues not directly affecting its own interests. Ghana has been extremely active in international peacekeeping activities under UN auspices in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Rwanda, and the Balkans, in addition to an eight-year sub-regional initiative with its ECOWAS partners to develop and then enforce a cease-fire in Liberia. Ghana is also a member of the International Criminal Court.
The United States, Venezuela, Cuba, and the People's Republic of China have embassies in Grenada. Grenada has been recognized by most members of the United Nations and maintains diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, and Canada.
The foreign relations of Guinea, including those with its West African neighbors, have improved steadily since 1985.
Kenya maintains relations with various countries around the world. Its closest ties are with its fellow Swahili-speaking neighbors in the African Great Lakes region. Swahili speaking neighbours mainly include countries in the East African Community such as Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
While alliances dating back to the Mozambican War of Independence remain relevant, Mozambique's foreign policy has become increasingly pragmatic. The twin pillars of the policy are maintenance of good relations with its neighbors and maintenance and expansion of ties to development partners.
Since independence, with Jaja Wachuku as the first Minister for Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, later called External Affairs, Nigerian foreign policy has been characterised by a focus on Africa as a regional power and by attachment to several fundamental principles: African unity and independence; capability to exercise hegemonic influence in the region: peaceful settlement of disputes; non-alignment and non-intentional interference in the internal affairs of other nations; and regional economic cooperation and development. In carrying out these principles, Nigeria participates in the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.
The foreign relations of Peru are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. is an important first-tier state in South America, Peru has been a member of the United Nations since 1945, and Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar served as UN Secretary General from 1981 to 1991. Former President Alberto Fujimori's tainted re-election to a third term in June 2000 strained Peru's relations with the United States and with many Latin American and European countries, mainly small countries like Yemen but relations improved with the installation of an interim government in November 2000 and the inauguration of Alejandro Toledo in July 2001.
Eswatini is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Southern African Development Community. Currently, the Kingdom of Eswatini maintains 11 embassies and High Commissions along with 15 consulates and other representations around the world, while there are five embassies and High Commissions in Eswatini as well as 14 consulates and other representations.
Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere also was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, and, during the Cold War era, Tanzania played an important role in regional and international organisations, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the front-line states, the G-77, and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). One of Africa's best-known elder statesmen, Nyerere was personally active in many of these organisations, and served chairman of the OAU (1984–85) and chairman of six front-line states concerned with eliminating apartheid in Southern Africa. Nyerere was also involved with peace negotiations in Burundi until his death. Nyerere's death, on 14 October 1999, is still commemorated annually.
Modern Trinidad and Tobago maintains close relations with its Caribbean neighbours and major North American and European trading partners. As the most industrialized and second-largest country in the English-speaking Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago has taken a leading role in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and strongly supports CARICOM economic integration efforts. It also is active in the Summit of the Americas process and supports the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, lobbying other nations for seating the Secretariat in Port of Spain.
Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has maintained Tunisia's long-time policy of seeking good relations with the West, while playing an active role in Arab and African regional bodies. President Habib Bourguiba took a nonaligned stance but emphasized close relations with Europe, Pakistan, and the United States.
This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Uruguay. At the political level, these matters are officially handled by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, also known as Cancillería, which answers to the President.
Uganda has formal diplomatic relations with many countries, some accredited. Since the colonial era and after independence Uganda has grown to be one of the most important African countries. Uganda has diplomatic relations with many countries throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Uganda is a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations since 1962.
The foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) are conducted by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of representation offices and embassies in foreign countries.
Foreign relations of Djibouti are managed by the Djiboutian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Djibouti maintains close ties with the governments of Somalia, Ethiopia, France and the United States. It is likewise an active participant in African Union, United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Arab League affairs.
Algeria-Yemen. M. Kadri Mohamed , Algeria's first Ambassador to the Yemen is due to take up his post on December 22nd
... Abdu-Bakr Othman Mohammed Salah, Sudanese first ambassador to Algeria presented his credentials to Colonel Houari Boumedienne , chairman of the Revoluticnary Council which acts as a collective head of state , on December 22 ...
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This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.