Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi Embarks on Official Visit to Algeria

General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), went on an official visit to Algeria from 25-28 August 2025. The visit comes close on the heels of the recent visits by the President of India and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), underlining the importance accorded to strengthening India-Algeria relations.

The visit aimed to reinforce defence and security engagement between India and Algeria, with a focus on bolstering Army-to-Army cooperation, sharing perspectives on regional and global security challenges, and exploring avenues for defence industrial collaboration.

During the visit, General Dwivedi held high-level meetings with senior Algerian leadership, including General Saïd Chanegriha, minister delegate to the minister of national defence and Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army; Lieutenant General Mostefa Smaali, Commander of Land Forces; and Dr Swati Kulkarni, Indian Ambassador to Algeria. He also visited prominent military institutions such as the School of Command and Major Staff, Tamentfoust; Cherchell Military Academy and paid homage at the Martyrs Memorial.

As a precursor to the visit, Indian defence industries had showcased their capabilities at Defence Seminar in Algiers from 30 July-1 August 2025, laying the foundation for defence industry and technology collaboration.

The visit of the COAS was expected to further deepen the historic ties between the two nations and provide impetus to advancing shared security interests, regional stability and defence cooperation.