On Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 November, Algeria hosted the 23rd meeting of the management committee for the 5+5 defence initiative. Algeria currently chairs this committee focusing on discussions about security-related issues until France takes over on 1 January 2017.
Its creation as a general thematic dialogue structure (see EUROPE 11658) reflects member states’ desire to promote and consolidate cooperation among Western Mediterranean countries (five western Mediterranean member states – Malta, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal – along with the five members of the Union of Arab Maghreb – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania.
Algeria’s defence minister said it was through activities engaged in annually by the 5+5 in the security domain that the ten nations created the ability to initiate an exchange of views about the modes and means provided to render concrete their security objectives in the sub-region. Police cooperation has been in place since 2015.
At the opening of the meeting, Major General Aoura Salah, the director of external relations and cooperation at the defence ministry, said that the multilateral cooperation through high-level meetings, exercises, seminars and projects – which have demonstrated their efficiency – consolidated their common desire to face the threats arising in their geographical area. Pointing out the worrying dimension of current events in the region and their political repercussions, he said it was necessary to strengthen their dialogue further.
The previous meeting in Algiers on 18 and 19 October 2016 had examined the 2016 action plan that had been fully implemented, and finalised the action plan for 2017, discussing the planned joint statement by defence ministers that will be submitted to the ministers for approval and signature at the next meeting – which will take place in Algiers on 15 December 2016, explained the Algerian defence minister.
He said that since this form of dialogue began in 2005, more than 360 activities took place from 2005 to 2016 in the domains covered by the initiative, namely maritime security, air security, management of natural disasters, training and academic research, giving rise to exchange of experience, knowledge and interoperability among member states’ armed forces. He outlined a concrete example – a common naval exercise, Seaborder 16, in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy, from 5 to 9 September, involving tactical manoeuvres at sea and shipping ban operations. (Original version in French by Fathi B’Chir)