Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera that Algeria faces security challenges on its borders, which is besieged because of its geographical surroundings, stressing in another context that countries such as China and Russia supported Algeria's accession to the BRICS group, which includes the most prominent emerging economies.

Referring to the internal situation in his country, Tebboune denied in the same interview reports that there is a restriction on freedoms in Algeria, revealing the presence of 8500,180 journalists in Algeria, 20 daily newspapers and <> private television channels, ruling out that these media outlets work according to the wishes of the Algerian regime, and said in this context, "Opposition to the regime with ideas and other economic plans is required, but what is unacceptable is insulting, insulting, defending the interests of others and receiving money from abroad."

On the other hand, the Algerian president confirmed that his country is a candidate to join the "BRICS" group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and continues to work for its acceptance, revealing that China and Russia have expressed their acceptance, and that there is no problem with Brazil and South Africa, revealing that the decision on the issue of accession or not will be during the next meeting in the next summer.

President Tebboune officially submitted Algeria's application to join the BRICS, and in an interview with local media at the end of July, Tebboune said that Algeria was interested in joining the BRICS group, which is a political and economic powerhouse.

On the foreign policy file, Tebboune referred to Algeria's relations with its surroundings and with major influential countries in the international arena, and said that the relationship between Algeria and Morocco has reached a point of no return, and that he regrets that the relationship between the two neighboring countries has reached this level, noting that his country's position is reactive.

He stressed that Algeria considers Western Sahara "a purely decolonization issue" and is in the decolonization committee of the UN Security Council, noting that Algeria "demands a referendum in Western Sahara, and if the Sahrawis decide to belong to Morocco, Algeria will be the first to applaud them." In the same context, he revealed that Spain gave Algeria Western Sahara in 1974, but Algeria refused.

He also revealed that Algeria has put all its strength and capabilities to support South Africa and East Timor, because the principle of the Algerian revolution is to support the peoples.

As for Spain's position on Western Sahara, Tebboune said that the Spanish government's position is unilateral and biased towards the government of (Pedro) Sanchez, by secret actions that do not exempt it from its responsibilities.

International Relations

As for Tunisia, Tebboune stressed that Algeria supports Tunisian President Kais Saied because the people elected him and did not come by force, and it supports the Tunisian state through its head, who is happy, and if it supports any other Tunisian parties, it will be interference in its internal affairs, and said that there is a "conspiracy" targeting Tunisia and that Algeria will not abandon it.

While praising Algeria's relations with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, he described his country's relations with China as very good and with Russia as well, and revealed that he will visit Moscow next May at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On the Ukraine crisis, Tebboune said that Algeria is qualified to play the role of mediator as it is one of the countries that have sufficient credibility for mediation.

Regarding the relationship with France, Tebboune described the relationship as vacillating and the Algerian ambassador will soon return to Paris, while stressing that his country sees itself as a friend of the United States of America, and that the largest oil companies in Algeria are American.