Strengthening Defence Ties: Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s Visit to Algeria

During this visit of the Indian Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi to Algeria, the bilateral defence relations between the two nations have improved tremendously. During the four-day visit, between August 25-28, Army-to-Army cooperation will be enhanced, the security challenges being faced in the region and other parts of the world will be discussed, and defence industrial cooperation possibilities will also be explored.

Context

• The visit of General Upendra Dwivedi to Algeria is an important accomplishment towards strengthening defence relationships between India and Algeria. 

• Both states are interested in facilitation of military collaboration aimed at resolution of security challenges facing them and anticipation of new areas of joint defence efforts. 

• The talks of this visit will lead to a heightened strategic partnership across a range of defence areas.

Key Points

• Enhancement of Army to Army Cooperation:

  • The emphasis of the visit is on strengthening military cooperation between India and Algeria. 

  • This entails discussing the methods of establishing better joint training, military exchanges and cooperation on defence projects, which will enhance the strength of the armed forces of both countries.

• Sharing Experiences on Asian and International security challenges:

  • India and Algeria equally feel threatened by the regional instabilities, such as terrorism, cross-border conflicts, and other rising security threats. 

  • The visit would contribute to the dialogue on these points so that the two countries could work on the same issues.

• Defence Industrial Collaboration

  • A highlight of the visit will be an exploration of bilateral defence industrial cooperation opportunities. 

  • This is inclusive of the dialogue regarding the possibilities of joint ventures, the sharing of technology and increasing capabilities of defence manufacturing between the two nations.

Way Forward

• In the long term, India and Algeria will probably increase their defence cooperation by conducting multinational exercises, exchanging technology and setting up mutually-owned production factories. 

• The security dynamic in the region is continually changing and close interaction between the two countries will play a key role to counter the emerging threats and improve regional security.

Conclusion

The visit of General Dwivedi to Algeria reflects a significant move towards enhancement of the defence and security governance between Algeria and India. Both countries are determined to strengthen their military relations and deal with the common security issues and increase cooperation of their defence industry. This visit will presumably become the basis of future cooperation in the foreseeable future, which will lead to regional stability and enhance the strategic relationship between the two nations further.