© Images copyright: Ministry of Defence Algeria
Algeria and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation during talks in Algiers on 26 September 2026, placing their defence relationship within a broader history of revolutionary solidarity and diplomatic partnership. General Saïd Chanegriha, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army, received General Nghia, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army. The meeting brought together senior military officials from both countries to review bilateral cooperation and discuss issues of common interest.
Held at the headquarters of the Algerian army’s General Staff, the discussions were attended by commanders of Algeria’s armed services, senior Defence Ministry officials, the Vietnamese ambassador to Algeria and members of the visiting delegation. The programme opened with military honours, including a salute to the national flag and the playing of the national anthem. Beyond the ceremonial welcome, the talks focused on the state of cooperation between the two military institutions. Both sides expressed support for closer ties, although the account of the meeting did not identify new agreements, specific programmes or a timetable for further activities.
Chanegriha emphasised the historical foundations of the relationship, recalling Vietnam’s support for Algeria’s struggle for independence. He highlighted its reception of National Liberation Front delegations, the sharing of experience in armed struggle and revolutionary organisation, and its early recognition of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. These connections, he argued, helped establish a lasting friendship that continued to develop through mutual respect and political consultation. His remarks presented military cooperation as part of a wider effort to strengthen a strategic partnership between two countries of the Global South, linking their shared past with their ambitions for development and international influence.
The Algerian military chief also reaffirmed his institution’s readiness to expand cooperation with its Vietnamese counterpart, describing the relationship as one sustained by trust rather than temporary circumstances. General Nghia, for his part, welcomed the visit and expressed his commitment to strengthening military ties. He also praised coordination between the two countries across several fields. While neither side publicly outlined operational priorities in the supplied account, their statements conveyed a shared intention to maintain engagement and develop the relationship further. The meeting concluded with an exchange of symbolic gifts and the Vietnamese general signing the General Staff’s Golden Book. The delegation’s programme also included visits that reinforced the historical themes discussed during the military talks. On the preceding day, General Nghia and his accompanying officials visited the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he laid a wreath and observed a minute of silence in tribute to those who died during Algeria’s War of National Liberation. The delegation also visited the memorial dedicated to Ho Chi Minh in Raïs Hamidou. Together, these commemorative stops and the meeting with Chanegriha connected the visit’s diplomatic and military agenda with the memory of both countries’ independence struggles, underscoring the importance each side continues to attach to that shared historical experience.
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