FM invites Spanish minister to visit Algeria over gas conflict

Algerian foreign minister Mourad Medelci invited Miguel Angel Moratinos on Tuesday to pay a visit to Algeria to work out solutions for gas price controversy.

•  
• Medelci invited the Spanish minister at a bilateral meeting as part of the 5+5 Forum held at Cordoba, Spain.
• He considered the visit as positive to offer “political support” for underway contacts between Algeria’s energy group Sonatrach and Spanish Gas Natural over a solution for the gas price conflict.
• Algeria and Spain entered into negotiations to raise the Algerian gas price marketed in Spain with $1 per 27 square meters by virtue of an official agreement, two years ago.
• In 2007, Algeria informed the Spanish government of its intention to raise gas price by 20 percent as part of an agreement signed in 1995 between Sonatrach and Gas Natural.
• On the other hand, Spain refuses to review gas price contracts.
• Medelci said the Algerian government is looking forward to extend cooperation in energy to include renewable energy sources and new ways for industrial cooperation.