Russia is keen to strengthen its cooperation with Algeria and hopes to step up arms sales to the North African country, Russia’s armed forces chief of staff told his visiting Algerian counterpart on Monday.
”We pledge to inject new energy into our bilateral relations in the areas of military and technical cooperation,” General Yuri Baluyevsky told Algeria’s General Salah Gaid, according to Russian news agencies.
In addition to the $1,5-billion purchase of 50 Russian MiG 29 aircraft, currently under negotiation, the two countries could shortly sign arms contracts worth about $500-million, Interfax news agency quoted a defence ministry source as saying.
The source said oil-rich Algeria, which currently accounts for three percent of Russian arms exports, is considering acquiring fighter jets, ships and ground weapons.
Gaid, a Russian speaker who was educated in the Soviet Union, was hosted by the management of Rosoboronexport, the company that oversees most of Russia’s arms exports, as well as business leaders from the armament sector.
Algeria, which had strong ties with the former Soviet Union, has continued to purchase arms from Russia after the fall of communism in 1991.
Recent contracts between the two countries covered the sale of 22 Su-24 Fencer aircraft, Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missiles, transport helicopters and maintenance services for coastguard ships, according to Interfax. – Sapa-AFP