The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lounès Magramane, chaired the Algerian delegation participating in the second ministerial meeting of the Arab-Indian Cooperation Forum, held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on January 30-31, 2026. Prior to the start of the forum, the Secretary General met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a welcoming ceremony held in honor of the heads of the participating Arab delegations.
On this occasion, Lounès Magramane affirmed Algeria’s desire to strengthen cooperation with India, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry sector and in facilitating the transfer of Indian expertise and technology. This session allowed for a review of the current state of Arab-Indian relations and a discussion of issues of mutual interest, with the aim of elevating them to broader horizons within a strategic vision that seeks to integrate economic, political, and cultural dimensions into a comprehensive and integrated cooperation.
In his speech during the opening session of the forum, the Secretary General noted the significant development witnessed by the Arab-Indian partnership in recent years, both in terms of the frequency of political meetings and the diversity of areas of cooperation. He also highlighted the urgent importance of adopting a realistic and responsible approach in evaluating what has been achieved since the launch of the Arab-Indian partnership in 2008.
Furthermore, he stressed the need to give greater importance to the political dimension for both the Arab and Indian sides within a regular framework for consultation on regional and international issues of common concern. At the forefront of these issues is the Palestinian cause, which remains fundamental for Algeria, in addition to regional security, combating terrorism, violent extremism, and hate speech.
Lounès Magramane took the opportunity of this meeting to praise the distinguished nature of Algerian-Indian relations, given their historical depth and diverse dimensions. This was manifested in India’s support for the Algerian people’s struggle against colonialism and the convergence of their positions within the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77, in defense of national decision-making independence and the right of peoples to self-determination.
The Secretary General also praised the qualitative boost in Algerian-Indian relations across many fields, reflecting the desire of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his Indian counterpart, Droupadi Murmu. This follows the latter’s visit to Algeria in October 2024, which represented a new milestone in the process of intensifying and diversifying the bilateral strategic partnership between the two friendly countries.
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