Russian economic expert Kassi Eder has stated that Moscow is seeking a prominent role in Algeria's economic partnerships, while respecting the country's national sovereignty and strategic priorities. According to Eder, Algeria is implementing a large-scale program to modernize its rail sector, aiming to build between 5,000 and 7,000 kilometers of new lines by 2035. This project goes beyond traditional infrastructure, serving as a foundation for regional and economic redistribution, promoting national cohesion and security, and ensuring the state's practical control over its logistics and economy.
Eder, director of a consulting company specializing in government relations, emphasized that the primary priority is to connect the high plateaus and major southern regions, including the Béchar-Tindouf-Gara Djebilet line and the southern areas. This connection will help break the isolation of these regions, promote regional integration, and provide the necessary infrastructure to develop mineral wealth, such as transporting iron ore from the Gara Djebilet mine and phosphate reserves in eastern Algeria.
The rail network will integrate northern Algeria, with its ports and major cities, with the high plateaus, which have an agricultural and industrial character, and the south, rich in energy and emerging mining industries. Eder noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area, comprising 54 countries and valued at $3 trillion, opens up broad prospects for intercontinental trade, creating an Algerian corridor extending into the African interior.
Algeria aims to establish itself as a regional logistics center and a hub for redistributing trade by developing the North-South corridor, which will help alleviate the isolation of landlocked neighboring countries, such as Niger. This will be achieved by providing "dry ports," roads, railways, cable networks, and pipeline systems that enable inland areas to access coastal regions and external markets.
Eder highlighted that Russia's experience in developing large-scale infrastructure, industrial localization, and digital security solutions makes it a natural potential partner for Algeria's rail program. Cooperation with Russian companies could include supplying locomotives and rolling stock, building and upgrading infrastructure, and providing integrated solutions, including engineering and digital traffic management.
In November 2025, Russia and Algeria agreed to enhance cooperation in digital transformation and cybersecurity, with a joint memorandum of understanding being prepared. Russia can contribute to strengthening the resilience of the rail network against cyber threats by exchanging expertise, participating in trial audits, and analyzing vulnerabilities, prioritizing the development of local capacities and training Algerian specialists according to international best practices.
Eder stressed that all sensitive networks fall within the scope of national security, and information infrastructure and control mechanisms must remain under Algeria's full control. Any successful partnership with Algeria requires trust in equipment performance in desert and arid conditions, competitiveness in costs, technology transfer, and industrial production localization, emphasizing that Algeria is open to diversifying its partnerships and that Russia can occupy a prominent position if it respects Algerian sovereignty and strategic priorities.
Key points
- Russia seeks to occupy a prominent role in Algeria's economic partnerships, respecting national sovereignty and strategic priorities.
- Algeria aims to establish itself as a regional logistics center and a hub for redistributing trade by developing the North-South corridor.
- Russia and Algeria agreed to enhance cooperation in digital transformation and cybersecurity in November 2025.
