Alwaght- On the eve of the important Iran-US talks in the Omani capital Muscat, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Algeria. Publishing an image of the visit, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaee said that the meeting of top Iranian diplomat with Algerian officials is meant for interests of the two nations.
Algeria is the tenth largest country in the world in terms of area. It is located in North Africa and has a Mediterranean coast and a desert interior. The largest country in Africa has historical ties with Iran, and over the past half century, Tehran and Algeria have rarely faced challenges in their friendly bilateral relations.
Algeria also reminds of a historic agreement for Iran. In 1975, the Treaty of Algiers was concluded as an agreement between Iran and Iraq with the mediation of Algeria. This agreement demarcated the border lines of Iran and Iraq in the waters of the Arvand River and became known as the Treaty of Algiers due to the publication of a joint declaration between the two countries on March 6, 1975 in Algiers, the capital of Algeria.
At present, while the Iranian officials are to have a historic meeting with the American officials in Muscat, the Iranian FM is visiting Algeria and possibly after this meeting, the American and Iranian officials will meet in Oman. However, Iran-Algeria relations go beyond the short-term political developments.
Palestine, the common chapter of Tehran and Algiers
Both the people of Iran and Algeria are the most important supporters of the Palestinians in the Muslim world. Last summer, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the current president of Algeria, made a powerful and strong statement in support of the Palestinian cause during his election campaign, saying that “I swear to God, we will never give up on Palestine and Gaza in particular.” The relationship between Algeria and Palestine goes far beyond the current developments and the ongoing war in Gaza. Historically, this relationship can be traced back to the time of Salah al-Din Ayyubi, as well as to 1948 and the beginning of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. During the days of of declaration of the establishment of Israel, or Nakba, Algerians stood by the Palestinians and many of them were martyred in Palestine, even when Algeria was under French colonial rule.
In fact, Algeria, as one of the leading countries in the Arab world, has taken a firm stance for decades in support of Palestine and in opposition to the policies of the Israeli regime. Algerian leaders have repeatedly stated their opposition to the Israeli regime for its occupation, human rights violations, and expansionist policies against the Palestinians.
The Iranian FM appreciated the country's stance in support of Palestine during his recent visit to Algeria, saying that "we respect Algeria's role and position in the Security Council in defense of Palestine." This stance by Araghchi showed that the Palestinian issue is also the main common issue between the two nations, and that both sides have a united stance on the liberation of Palestine.
Iran's entry to North Africa, Israeli expulsion from African Union
The interesting point is that coincident with the Iranian FM visit, Algeria and other African countries participating in the annual meeting of the African Union expelled Israeli ambassador from the event. The move is seen a big blow to the Israeli efforts to build influence in Africa and is the measure the Iranian officials have always demanded. The expulsion of the Israeli representative and the condemnation of the regime's crimes by the AU also indicate serious changes in the positions of African countries and the strengthening of their solidarity with the Palestinian people. From this perspective, Iran also has great alignment and closeness with African countries, including Algeria.
Western focus of Iranian presence in North Africa
Western media covered the visit of Araghchi with high concern. Western and anti-Iranian Arab-language media outlets have reported that Iran’s interest in strengthening relations with Algeria is part of Iran’s efforts to boost its position in West Africa through economic cooperation agreements with countries in the region, including Algeria. According to these media outlets, Tehran is trying to achieve its goals by relying on social influence to attract intellectuals and artists in these countries.
But the fact is that Algeria is reciprocally interested in closeness to Iran as they share regional stances. In March last year during visit to Algiers of late Iranian President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi, the two countries signed 6 cooperation agreements. Actually, after its relations went frayed with some countries, Algeria is seeking to break its African atmosphere isolation. The country, especially over the past few years, has had challenge-hit relations with Sahel Coalition countries of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso that recalled their ambassadors from Algiers. Algeria also accused Mali of interference by closing its airspace over the country after a Malian intelligence drone was shot down. Accordingly, for Algeria, close ties with Iran are currently an opportunity to break its isolation in Africa.
The proximity of Iran and Algeria in West Africa has also raised concerns from Morocco, which has close ties with Iran's archenemy Israel. Morocco cut ties with Tehran in 2018, alleging Iran’s support for the separatist Polisario Front, although Tehran has announced its readiness to repair ties with Morocco. If Tehran and Morocco succeed in restoring their bilateral relations, Iran could also help reduce tensions between Algeria and Morocco as a mediator. This situation, however, is not desirable for the West and Israel, which are trying to isolate Iran. However, Araghchi's visit to Algeria indicates a new chapter in the dynamics of Iranian diplomacy in Africa, and even with the expansion of these relations, Iran could have a mediating role in easing the inter-North African tensions.
Algeria's economic opportunities for Iran
It should also be taken into account that Algeria can be a country of economic interests to Tehran. Territorial vastness, natural resources, acceptable political stability, and being the world's fourth country with the largest gas reserves all invite for activity and investment of Iran in Algeria. Algeria's oil-reliant economy and its high aspirations for membership in organizations such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS indicate that Algeria, like Iran, is seeking a multilateral world. Healthcare, biotechnology, automobiles, infrastructure, the nanotechnology industry, and energy have been the most important areas for cooperation between Iran and Algeria in recent years, which can now be expanded.
In 2023, Iran exported worth of over $1.1 million non-oil goods to Algeria, showing a 109-percent growth compared to the year before. This is apart from the processed oil products of Iran in Algeria. Therefore, for Iran, Algeria is a proper space of economic and trade opportunities Tehran can benefit from and even can view Algeria specially as a gate to other African countries.
