A resurgence in high-level diplomacy between Algeria and the United States highlights how security issues in and around North Africa have climbed the international geopolitical agenda.
A flurry of intense activity culminated in the visit of Alergia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to Washington in August. He held substantive meetings with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and spoke to senior figures from the US’s National Security Council.
More recently, General Said Chengriha, the chief of staff of Algeria’s army, spoke with the director general of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns. It was the first meeting of its kind between such high-ranking military and security officials from both nations.
Calls for closer ties
Algeria’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that in a telephone call, Chengriha and Burns discussed mutual interests and ways to enhance cooperation over security, while also highlighting the success of their partnership, especially in the fight against terrorism.
And they were not the only recent talks.
The security discussion followed political discussions between Lounes Magramane, the secretary general of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Joshua Harris, the US deputy assistant secretary of state. They covered various aspects of the countries’ relations ahead of a further strategic dialogue session planned for October in Washington, between foreign ministers.
Attaf’s August visit to the US capital involved meetings with Blinken and a range of senior officials, including the White House’s national security coordinator, Brett McGurk, and Derek Shuley, who is in the process of being appointed deputy secretary of defence.