Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi will travel to Algeria next Monday as part of the growing political and trade rapprochement with the North African country. Europe, on the other hand, is looking for new formulas to avoid being dependent on Russia’s energy resources.
At the end of February, the Italian Foreign Minister went to Algeria, Luigio Di Maio’s photo. He did this in company with Claudio Descalzi, CEO of ENI company, who repeated his visit last weekend to complete the purchase of more gas.
Italy is dependent on 20 percent of Algerian gas, and both governments estimate that this ratio will increase. Therefore, if around 21,000 million cubic meters reach Italian territory in 2021, the joint commitment will be to approach or even exceed the 30,000 million mark in the coming months.
Draghi and Algerian president Abdelmadid Tebune already reaffirmed last Friday. “strategic” bilateral alliance in a phone callwith the commitment that in the short term this will translate into the transition of high-level visits.
The Italian Government confirmed this. the prime minister will travel on monday, According to the Adnkronos news agency, there are almost no details beyond confirming that Draghi will meet with Tebune. Roma also hopes that the Algerian president will visit Italy in the future.
Both Algerian political officials and the Sonatrach company have emphasized in recent weeks: the country is a reliable partner energetic substance. Sonatrach’s CEO, Toufik Hakkar, assured APS on Friday that prospects are “promising” as new supplies emerge, but he did not rule out a price hike, specifically pointing to the possibility of a “recalculation” of costs. Natural gas was sent to Spain.
Relations with Spain now marked by diplomatic tensionAfter approval by the Government of Pedro Sánchez Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara Algeria, an ally of the Polisario Front in the conflict, summoned its ambassador in Madrid for consultations as a sign of protest.