ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Italy moved to deepen its ties with Algeria through a series of memorandums signed Monday during a two-day visit by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who called Algeria Italy’s “most stable, strategic and long-standing’’ partner within the region.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said he reiterated to Meloni that his gas-rich North African country wants a solid strategic partnership with Italy “that ought to transcend the energy sector” and end its dependence on hydrocarbons.
Tebboune gave Meloni, in office just three months, a solemn welcome ahead of their private meeting that capped a two-day working visit without fanfare.
Algeria has already develop into Italy’s important supplier of natural gas as Italy seeks alternatives to Russian gas since its invasion of Russia last February.
The agreements underlined Italy’s ambition to develop into an energy hub for Europe based on imports from Africa, with a deal with Northern Africa and Algeria, dubbed the “Mattei Plan’’ for the late former CEO of Italian energy company ENI Enrico Mattei.
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Meloni’s visit follows two others last 12 months by her predecessor, Mario Draghi, who secured for Italy pledges that increased imports of Algerian gas from 14 billion cubic meters (494 billion cubic feet) in 2021 to twenty billion cubic meters (706 billion cubic feet) in 2022.
“This can be a model of collaboration on an equal basis, to rework the various crises that we face into opportunities,’’ Meloni told a joint news conference. “It’s a model of development that permits African nations to grow based on what they’ve, because of a non-predatory approach by foreign nations.”
The CEO of Italian energy company ENI, Claudio Descalzi, signed agreements with the Algerian energy giant Sonatrach to develop projects geared toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing gas exports to Italy and possibly constructing a pipeline to move hydrogen to Italy.
Italy’s Confindustria industrial lobby also agreed to pursue greater cooperation with Algerian business, and the Italian Space Agency signed an agreement to share knowledge and develop joint projects with its Algerian counterpart.
Tebboune said that talks focused on gas “and we wish Italy to develop into a platform for distribution of Algerian energy products in Europe.” But, he added that “we wish to enlarge our cooperation beyond energy.”
Italy’s economic model based on large and small corporations “interests us to assist Algeria get out of dependence on hydrocarbons.”
Colleen Barry in Rome contributed to this report.
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