Army chief's Algeria visit 1st since 'Operation Sindoor'
What's the story
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has embarked on a four-day visit to Algeria, his first foreign trip since "Operation Sindoor." The visit aims to strengthen bilateral defense ties between India and Algeria. It comes nearly 10 months after both countries signed a defense cooperation agreement in early November last year. During his stay, General Dwivedi is expected to meet top military leaders of Algeria and discuss ways to enhance cooperation, particularly between their land forces.
Diplomatic efforts
Recent high-level engagements between India and Algeria
The visit comes on the heels of recent high-level engagements between India and Algeria. Notably, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had visited Algeria from October 31 to November 3 last year. During his visit, he attended the 70th anniversary of Algeria's War of Independence. These diplomatic efforts lay the groundwork for deeper bilateral cooperation in defense matters.
Strategic partnership
India-Algeria defense cooperation agreement
The India-Algeria defense cooperation agreement, signed last year, is a major step toward strengthening bilateral ties. The agreement aims to enhance Army-to-Army ties, expand training exchanges, and explore avenues for defense capability development. Given that Algeria uses largely similar equipment to India, there are opportunities for operational expertise sharing, maintenance and training support, and collaboration in defense technologies.
Security cooperation
Gen Dwivedi to share India's '0 tolerance' approach toward terrorism
During his visit, Gen Dwivedi is also expected to share India's "zero tolerance" approach toward terrorism. The discussions will likely cover regional and global security challenges as both nations look to build trust and interoperability. India sees Algeria as a key partner in Africa and the Mediterranean region owing to its strategic position as a security anchor in the Sahel and an energy powerhouse with oil, gas, and rare earth reserves.
Defense collaboration
Gen Dwivedi's visit to chart a long-term roadmap
The Indian Army said that Gen Dwivedi's visit is expected to give fresh momentum to India-Algeria defense ties. By reinforcing shared values of sovereignty, non-alignment, and South-South cooperation, the visit aims to chart a long-term roadmap for security collaboration between the two nations. The trip underscores India's expanding role in advancing strategic partnerships abroad and its commitment to deepening mutual understanding with Algeria.