Algerian Chief of Staff, Said Chanegriha has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to its strategic independence during a meeting with US Admiral George Wikoff, even as military relations between Algiers and Washington have seen a marked rapprochement since 2025.
General Chanegriha, who leads the People’s National Army (ANP), has received the commander of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, Admiral George Wikoff, according to a statement from the
Algerian Ministry of Defence.
The meeting focused on bilateral military cooperation and regional security issues. The Algerian
official highlighted the “new dynamic” in military relations between the two countries, citing in particular the memorandum of understanding signed in January 2025.
He also mentioned the increasing number of visits by high-ranking US military officials to Algeria, including that of the commander of AFRICOM.
While welcoming this rapprochement, Saïd Chanegriha emphasised that Algeria remained “deeply committed to the principle of non-alignment, its independence, and its sovereign decision-making.”
This statement comes as the country seeks to strengthen its military partnerships with several international powers in a regional context marked by instability in the Sahel and the Mediterranean.
This emphasis on sovereignty also reflects a recurring concern of the Algerian authorities, keen to demonstrate diplomatic autonomy despite increasingly active security cooperation with foreign partners.
Algerian officials regularly invoke the legacy of the war of independence to justify this doctrine.
For his part, Admiral George Wikoff expressed his desire to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral military cooperation, while commending the Algerian People’s National Army’s (ANP) role in maritime security in the Western Mediterranean, according to the official statement.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA