Algeria and Russia Strengthen Ties with Nine Agreements at 12th Joint Governmental Committee Meeting

The 12th session of the Algerian-Russian Joint Governmental Committee for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation concluded on Thursday in Algiers with the signing of nine agreements. The ceremony was overseen by Algeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, Youcef Cherfa, and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Patrushev.

The signing event was attended by key officials, including Algeria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Science, Konstantin Mogilevsky, Algeria’s Ambassador to Russia, Boumediene Guennad, the Director General for Europe at Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Toufik Gouam, and the Chargé d’Affaires at the Russian Embassy, Alexey Kochetkov, alongside experts and representatives from both nations.

The proceedings began with the signing of the minutes of the 12th session by the co-chairs of the committee, Cherfa and Patrushev. This was followed by the signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of academic qualifications, degrees, and diplomas, as well as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on higher education and scientific cooperation, between Baddari and Mogilevsky.

In the field of standardization, an MoU was signed between Algeria’s National Institute of Standardization, represented by its Director General, Djamel Hellal, and Russia’s Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology, represented by its Director, Anton Shalaev.

Additionally, cooperation agreements were signed between Algeria’s Houari Boumediene University of Science and Technology and Mostaganem University with Russia’s Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, focusing on student exchanges and participation in the Russian-African University Network. Further agreements were inked between Algeria’s National School of Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, the University of Algiers 2, the University of Oran 2, and Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, as well as between Algeria’s Higher Teachers’ School in Bou Saâda and Russia’s Naberezhnye Chelny State University.

In his remarks, Cherfa highlighted the success of the 12th session, emphasizing that it provided an opportunity for both sides to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of their bilateral cooperation. He noted that the discussions reflected a shared commitment to maximizing the potential for integration across various sectors, aligning visions on key issues.

Cherfa called for continued efforts to strengthen Algerian-Russian cooperation through mutually beneficial investment projects and support for economic operators from both countries in establishing partnerships and implementing structured, productive initiatives. He also stressed the importance of finalizing agreements discussed in previous sessions.

For his part, Patrushev praised the outcomes of the session and the bilateral talks held on the sidelines of the event. He reiterated Russia’s readiness to deepen cooperation, particularly in economic fields, and expressed his country’s willingness to expand collaboration into technical, cultural, scientific, and sports sectors. Patrushev also announced Russia’s intention to increase scholarships for Algerian students pursuing higher education in Russian universities, which currently host 2,000 Algerian students.

The agreements signed during this session underscore the growing strategic partnership between Algeria and Russia, paving the way for enhanced collaboration across multiple domains.