Italy and Algeria sign energy agreements during Draghi’s visit to Algiers

July 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The governments of Italy and Algeria have signed a series of agreements on energy and the fight against corruption on Monday, within the framework of an official visit to Algiers by the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, in which he met with the President Algerian, Abdelmayid Tebune.

Draghi was accompanied by the foreign ministers, Luigi Di Maio; Inside, Luciana Lamorgese; Justice, Marta Cartabia; Ecological Transition, Robert Cingolani; and Infrastructure, Enrico Giovanni, who have stamped their signatures on the agreements reached during the day, later signed by Draghi and Tebune.

The Italian prime minister, who resigned last week in the midst of a political crisis –although his decision was rejected by the president, Sergio Mattarella–, has traveled to the African country, to try to reinforce the agreements at the energy level and an increase in the delivery of gas by Algiers in the face of the impact of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions on Russia on supply.

According to Algerian media, Algeria’s state-owned natural gas company Sonatrach will deliver 4 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy’s ENI this week. So far this year, Algeria has delivered 13.9 billion cubic meters to Italy, which is 113 percent more than the planned volume.

The war in Ukraine has made Algeria the axis of European energy policy and has also led to agreements with the French company Engie, which is adding to the supply through Spain, although Algiers has already stated its intention to turn its strategy to the detriment of Spain, which Algeria reproaches for its change to support the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, since the Saharawi independence fighters are allies of Algiers.