Italian Ambassador: “Rome has not abandoned its relations with Algeria and has not betrayed mutual trust”
The new Italian Ambassador to Algeria, Alessandra Schiavo, affirmed that friends do not leave but stay by their friends’ side in times of hardship, referring to the strength of relations between Algeria and Rome, stressing that Italians have always stood by Algerians and will never leave, which, according to her, reflects the strength of the historical and strategic ties between the two countries.
The Ambassador also stressed that Algeria is Italy’s primary partner in the African continent, with a trade volume exceeding 13 billion euros, and a partnership extending from the energy sector to renewable energies, passing through industry, agriculture, and many areas of economic cooperation.
Ambassador Schiavo explained, in her first statements during her speech on Tuesday evening on the occasion of her country’s National Day at the Italian Embassy in Algeria, which falls on June 2nd each year, that Rome is ready to expand horizons of cooperation with Algeria and develop the existing partnership between the two countries.
In this context, the Ambassador affirmed Italy’s readiness to share modern technology with Algeria to improve gas and oil production, enhance decarbonization efforts and reduce gas flaring, in addition to supporting renewable energy projects, and agriculture in areas with harsh climates, and contributing to the creation of new job opportunities and economic development in multiple sectors ranging from restaurants to telecommunications, and from infrastructure to artificial intelligence.
She added that the volume of trade between the two countries reached about 13 billion euros in 2025, affirming that Algeria will remain one of Italy’s most important trading partners in Africa, and that the “Eni” group is one of the most prominent foreign investors in the country.
Regarding historical bilateral relations, Italian Ambassador Alessandra Schiavo reviewed her vision of the nature of ties between the two countries, affirming that they are not limited to the current dimension, but extend to deep historical roots dating back many centuries.
She explained that the course of relations between Algeria and Italy represents only the last chapter of a long and rich book, noting that this link extends back thousands of years since the beginnings of navigation in the Mediterranean Sea, when the Numidian kings Masinissa and Syphax established relations with ancient Rome.
The Italian diplomat stressed that since Algeria’s independence, Rome has not abandoned its relations with Algeria and has not betrayed mutual trust, but has always considered Algerians friends and even brothers, in reference to the depth of human ties between the two peoples.
Ambassador Schiavo also stressed that Rome has chosen Algeria as a pivotal partner in the “Mattei Plan” directed at the African continent, with future projects including the “Enrico Mattei” center for training, research, and innovation in the agricultural field in the Sidi Bel Abbès province.
In the economic aspect, the speaker noted that the “Fiat” automobile company has actually started production in Algeria, which several other Italian companies are seeking to do by following the example of “Fiat”, pointing out that the 150 Italian companies present in Algeria wish to expand their activities and employ local labor.
