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Algeria, China Sign a Strategic Cooperation Plan

Algerian and Chinese foreign ministers sign the first cooperation plan in 2017 (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Algeria)
Algerian and Chinese foreign ministers sign the first cooperation plan in 2017 (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Algeria)
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Algeria, China Sign a Strategic Cooperation Plan

Algerian and Chinese foreign ministers sign the first cooperation plan in 2017 (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Algeria)
Algerian and Chinese foreign ministers sign the first cooperation plan in 2017 (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Algeria)

Algeria and China have signed the second five-year comprehensive strategic cooperation plan 2022-2026, Algeria’s ministry of foreign affairs and national community abroad said Tuesday in a statement.

This comes one day after the Algerian government submitted an official request to join the political and economic BRICS group that includes Russia and China.

Observers see that this step indicates that Algeria aims to reinforce its choice of allies.

The statement said the pact was signed by Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

According to the ministry, the plan aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in different fields, including economy, industry, energy, space, and culture.

“The two sides intend to take the opportunity to implement this five-year plan to deepen practical cooperation between them in all fields, ensure the continuous enrichment of the elements of the comprehensive strategic bilateral partnership, and bring benefits to both friendly countries and peoples”, the statement read.

Both countries launched the first cooperation plan on 7 June 2017, and it was the first of its kind experience for China with an Arab state.

Foreign Ministry official Leyla Zarruki said that Algeria has officially requested to join the BRICS economic group.

Sputnik reported that Moscow welcomed Algeria's intention to join the BRICS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Tuesday.

"Of course, we welcome the desire of our partners and like-minded people to join the work of such formats as BRICS, SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization]. We have a trust-based dialogue with Algeria, it is being maintained," Bogdanov said.

BRICS, an emerging-market group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents approximately 40 percent of the global population and accounts for about 25 percent of the global economy.

Faysal Izdarin, an Algerian researcher in political sociology residing in France, confirmed that Algeria would benefit from joining BRICS and will acquire the required support as part of its plan to diversify the economy and explore investment opportunities.

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Lebanese Army Blames Israel for Delay in Deploying Troops in Southern Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of controlled explosions during demolition activities undertaken by the Israeli army in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila on January 24, 2025. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of controlled explosions during demolition activities undertaken by the Israeli army in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila on January 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Lebanese Army Blames Israel for Delay in Deploying Troops in Southern Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of controlled explosions during demolition activities undertaken by the Israeli army in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila on January 24, 2025. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of controlled explosions during demolition activities undertaken by the Israeli army in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila on January 24, 2025. (AFP)

Lebanon's army accused Israel of procrastinating in withdrawing troops from south Lebanon as required under a ceasefire that ended the war with Hezbollah, a day after Israel said its forces would remain beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure.

The Lebanese army, in a statement issued on Saturday, also urged Lebanese residents to wait before heading into the border region, citing the presence of mines and unexploded Israeli ordnance.

Under the US-brokered agreement, which took effect on Nov. 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani River and Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese military deploys into the region, all within a 60-day time frame, meaning by Sunday at 4 a.m. (0200 GMT).

Israel's military confirmed on Saturday that it won't complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday.

In a statement, it said the agreement is progressing but in some sectors, “it has been delayed and will take slightly longer.”

It added that the withdrawal process will continue “in the near future,” but said that displaced residents from towns in southern Lebanon should not return.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday the terms had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state. The White House said a short, temporary ceasefire extension was urgently needed.

The US-backed Lebanese army said it had continued to implement the plan to strengthen its deployment south of the Litani River since the ceasefire came into effect.

"Delays occurred in a number of the phases as a result of procrastination in the withdrawal by the Israeli enemy, which complicated the mission of the army's deployment," the statement said. The army "maintains its readiness to complete its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws", it added.

The ceasefire ended more than a year of hostilities which were triggered by the Gaza war and peaked in a major Israeli offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which uprooted more than a million people in Lebanon.

The Israeli government has not said how much longer its forces might remain in south Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and dismantling infrastructure used by the armed group.

Hezbollah, which suffered major blows in the war, said on Thursday that any delay of Israel's withdrawal would be an unacceptable breach of the deal and put the onus on the Lebanese state to act. Hezbollah said the state would have to deal with such a violation "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters".

Israel said its campaign against Hezbollah aimed to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people forced by Hezbollah rocket fire to leave their homes in northern Israel.