EU Ambassador Diego Mellado Pascua reveals to “Echorouk”: “European visit soon in framework of amending partnership with Algeria”
The European Union’s Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs is scheduled to pay a high-level visit to Algeria in the coming weeks, as part of pushing forward the process of re-evaluating and updating the partnership agreement with Algeria, which dates back more than twenty years, within the new approach based on the “Mediterranean Compact”.
This direction comes in the context of restructuring bilateral relations and expanding their scope, with an increased focus from the European side on enhancing cooperation in the energy sector, which is a strategic priority for the European Union in light of current geopolitical transformations, foremost among them the tensions in the Middle East region.
In this context, the European Union stressed that Algeria today imposes itself as a reliable and highly credible strategic partner in the energy field, given its regional position and its ability to meet a significant part of the European market’s needs, affirming that recent crises and wars have clearly highlighted Algeria’s importance and raised the level of need to strengthen and expand partnership with it in the fields of gas, renewable energies, and even green hydrogen.
In statements to “Echourouk”, on the sidelines of Pope Leon XIV’s historic visit to Algeria, the EU Ambassador to Algeria, Mr. Diego Mellado Pascua, addressed the issue of reviewing the partnership agreement between Algeria and the European Union, in addition to prospects for cooperation in the energy and economic fields. Regarding the developments in the review of the partnership agreement, he said that this agreement linking the two parties dates back more than twenty years, noting that “times are changing and there is continuous development”, which, according to him, led to considering a review of the regulatory framework for bilateral relations.
He added that the European Union has presented what is known as the “Mediterranean Compact”, as a broader framework than the current partnership agreement, aiming to re-evaluate and intensify relations between the two sides, while updating commercial aspects and enhancing economic cooperation, thereby allowing for the construction of a more comprehensive framework for Algerian-European relations.
The Ambassador also expressed that the European Union hopes to receive a high-level visit in the coming weeks from the Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs to Algeria, with the date to be confirmed soon, considering that this visit will be a “strong signal” of the continued development of the partnership within its new framework.
Regarding cooperation in the energy field, Mr. Diego Mellado Pascua underscored that this sector is “extremely essential”, explaining that Europe is looking for “strong and credible” partners, affirming that Algeria is considered in this context “a very reliable and strong partner”.
He further pointed out that the European Union seeks to shore up this partnership in light of current geopolitical challenges, including the war in Ukraine and tensions in other regions, highlighting that this, according to him, necessitates deepening cooperation with Algeria.
He also noted that high-level visits have recently taken place by the European Commissioner for Energy, and that this dynamic will be reinforced by a visit from the Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs soon, with the aim of confirming the Union’s direction towards expanding partnership with Algeria.
In the same context, the Ambassador stated that the European Union is working to enhance cooperation with Algeria in the fields of gas, renewable energies, green hydrogen, and all new energy sources, highlighting Algeria’s great potential in these areas, and considering that it can become “a true hub for renewable energies”.
