On 20 October, Algeria and Russia started a four-day joint military exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.

A day earlier, the Algerian Defense Ministry remarked that the exercise is “within the framework of strengthening bilateral military cooperation relations between the Navy of the [Algerian] National People’s Army and the Russian Navy.”

Moscow and Algiers regularly organize joint exercises. Just one month ago, a Russian minesweeper docked in the port of Jijel, eastern Algeria, to carry out military drills with the Algerian navy.

The two countries also conducted joint naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean last November, including various interceptive and tactical exercises.

The Chief of Staff of the Algerian forces thanked Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for maintaining bilateral ties with Algiers.

In September, the Russian ambassador to Algeria, Valeryan Shuvayev, announced that the Algerian president, Abdelmajid Tebboune, will likely visit Moscow before the end of the year to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Tebboune’s potential visit will center around Algeria’s desire to join the BRICS group of emerging economies — made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The BRICS nation represents the worlds most prominent economies outside the western hemisphere.

In May, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Algeria and met with President Tebboune, as well as his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, to discuss a boost in relations between both countries and the intention to sign a number of agreements in the near future that will further enhance the relationship between Moscow and Algiers.

As a result of this growing cooperation, last month 27 members of the US congress sent a letter addressed to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, calling for sanctions to be imposed against Algeria over its arms deals with Russia.