Rabat – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Wednesday Algeria’s rapprochement with Russia, as the latter’s war in Ukraine continues approaches the end of its first year.

Speaking to RT Arabic, Lavrov said that the United States had “attacked the wrong person,” referring to a letter by a group of US senators calling for sanctions on Algiers, citing weapon deals with Russia.

The diplomat added that Algeria “possesses features and advantages that put it above the others looking to join BRICS group.”

Lavrov said that more than five countries, including Algeria, applied for membership. The number surpasses that of the current official members.

“We agreed in the most recent meetings of the group that took place in 2022 that we will put in place a common approach to examine membership requests,” he added, saying that Algeria “leads” the list of potential members.

Algeria had previously hinted at joining the BRICS group in 2022, when President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that his country meets a “good part” of the BRICS’ membership criteria.

Algeria’s rapprochement with Russia is nothing new, as the two countries have been working together even after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.

While the war was met with heavy sanctions from Western countries on Russia, the Algerian regime has continued to buy arms from Russia. 

Those ties have been condemned by politicians, including members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and US senators who called for sanctions against the Algerian regime.

Europe scrambling for Algerian gas

Meanwhile, European states such as Italy have also been turning to Algeria for their energy needs, following sanctions on Russian gas that left the continent facing an energy crisis.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the North African country last month to secure more energy supplies, Bloomberg reported.

Algeria’s development of ties with Russia has also happened in the midst of continually straining relations with its neighbor Morocco.

Since the cutting of diplomatic ties in 2021, tensions have been simmering between the two countries.

A recent report from Algerian outlet Algerie Part claimed that a high level meeting including some of the Algerian army’s “most important personalities” had been held to discuss “direct confrontation” with Morocco.

Tensions between the two countries are long-standing, with Algeria’s support for the separatist Polisario movement being at the heart of the dispute.

Algeria has over the years consistently accused Rabat of trying to destabilize the country, culminating in the severing of relations after Algiers again accused its neighbor, without providing evidence,  of being behind wildfires that hit northeastern Algeria in August 2021.