EU-Algeria Association Agreement: More MEPs Concerned over Algeria’s Growing Support to Russia

A number of Members of European Parliament (MEPs) are drawing attention to Algeria’s growing support for Russia, a fact that runs counter the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, in force since September 2005.
In a letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, initiated by MEP Andrius Kubilius and signed by 17 fellow members, the MEPs recalled that Algeria abstained from voting on the UN resolution condemning war on Ukraine (March 2, 2022), joined Syria and 23 other member states in a vote against excluding Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, and abstained from voting on another resolution urging countries not to recognize the four Ukrainian regions that Russia had illegally annexed.
The document, dated Wednesday, highlighted Algerian double standards, given that the country has always tried to stand as a country which abides by international law and respects nations’ sovereignty.
It added that Algeria is among the top four purchasers of Russian arms worldwide, culminating with a more than EUR 7 billion arms deal in 2021. “Such influx of money from any source to Russia will only further enable Russia’s war machine in Ukraine,” the letter underlined.
Stressing that the said Association Agreement sets out a framework for the EU-Algeria relationship in all areas including political dialogue, the MEPs called on the EU to make sure that those with whom the Union has Association Agreements do not attempt to fund the Russian government, and its war machine, through the purchase of military equipment.