New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) Reaffirming India’s commitment to enhance bilateral ties with Algeria, Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) Secretary, South, Neena Malhotra on Friday attended the 71st Revolution Day celebration of the North African country here.

At the event organised at the Algerian Embassy, she extended heartfelt greetings on behalf of the Indian government to the government and the people of Algeria.

Taking to X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote: “Secretary (South) Neena Malhotra joined the Embassy of Algeria in New Delhi at their 71st Revolution Day celebration. On behalf of the GoI, she extended warmest congratulations to the Government and the people of Algeria and reiterated our commitment to further strengthen this partnership”.

Algeria celebrates Revolution Day to commemorate the start of its historic war of independence against French colonial rule on November 1, 1954, when members of the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) carried out coordinated attacks on French military and police targets across Algeria. These strikes marked the beginning of the Algerian War of Independence, an eight-year-long conflict that ultimately led to Algeria’s independence on July 5, 1962.

According to the MEA, the diplomatic relations between India and Algeria were established in July 1962, the year Algeria gained independence from French colonial rule. Since then, relations between the two countries have been cordial. India has supported the Algerian liberation movement since its inception.

Earlier in August, India and Algeria took a significant step towards boosting bilateral defence cooperation during Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi’s official visit to the North African country, fostering the spirit of South–South cooperation.

The visit reinforced the recent high-level engagements between the two countries and focused on enhancing army-to-army ties and capability development, including training.

As India continues to expand its strategic footprint across Africa, this high-level military engagement with Algeria was seen as a critical move to strengthen India’s partnerships in the region, especially in light of emerging security dynamics and the need for multilateral defence collaboration.

–IANS

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