Relationship dossier
Algeria
United States
Relationship assessment
Pragmatic cooperation, with a major divide over Western Sahara
Algeria toward United States
+15Algeria has engaged the United States through bilateral strategic dialogue and counterterrorism cooperation. Its support for the Polisario position on Western Sahara conflicts with the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.
United States toward Algeria
+15The United States has pursued bilateral strategic dialogue and counterterrorism cooperation with Algeria. Its 2020 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara diverged sharply from Algeria's position.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines practical diplomatic and security engagement with a persistent divide over Western Sahara. U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in 2020 was a major point of divergence, while bilateral dialogue and counterterrorism cooperation provide a basis for continued engagement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Algeria and the United States maintain pragmatic government cooperation, including a bilateral strategic dialogue and counterterrorism engagement. Their relations also face disagreement over Western Sahara: the United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in 2020, contrary to Algeria's position. Cooperation is concrete but does not remove this significant policy divergence.
Areas of tension
- Western Sahara: Algeria supports the Polisario position, while the United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in 2020.
Key developments
Algeria and the United States launched a bilateral strategic dialogue.
The United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, contrary to Algeria's position.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and practical results of bilateral counterterrorism cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of sustained government cooperation beyond security and diplomatic dialogue is uncertain.