Italian PM Giorgia Meloni to Begin a Two-Day Visit to Algeria

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, will begin this Sunday, January 22, a two-day working and friendship visit to Algeria, in the first trip abroad for the office of the Chigi Palace, which reflects the level of bilateral relations between the two countries as well as Algeria’s position in Rome.

Georgia Meloni’s visit to Algeria is the third of its kind for an official of this level, i.e. the prime minister, in less than a year, after the two visits of the former MP, Mario Draghi, to Algeria, the first on April 11, 2022, and the second on July 18, 2022, on the occasion of the 4th high-level bilateral summit between the two countries.

According to data from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trade exchanges between the two countries exceeded the level of 10 billion euros last year, of which more than 8 billion euros were Italian imports, mostly natural gas.

In this context, Algeria’s ambassador to Italy, Abdelkrim Touahria, said in an interview with the Italian “Il Messaggero” daily newspaper, on Saturday, that Algeria and Rome are convinced that bilateral relations under this new government can take further steps forward, noting that this visit was the fruit of the meeting that took place between President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the PM Giorgia Meloni in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on the sidelines of the Climate Summit, especially since this visit is Meloni’s first to North Africa.

Ambassador Touahria spoke about the files that will be discussed during Meloni’s visit to Algeria, on top of which is energy, but the automotive sector, agriculture, marine industries and emerging institutions will also be discussed, in addition to tourism and heavy industries, which will be discussed during the Algerian-Italian Business Forum expected on Wednesday, January 25 in the city of Naples.

“The Italian Fiat cars that will come out of the Oran factory will be unveiled on Match 19, and will be marketed before the end of this year, in addition to the investment of the “Adler” car parts complex”, he added.

Regarding the cooperation between Sonatrach and Eni, the Algerian diplomat explained that the two companies are working on several future projects, such as research and exploration of oil and gas in southern Algeria, but Algeria wants Italy to become a European centre for marketing Algerian gas and from there to other European countries, ruling out that gas prices will be affected, according to contracts signed between Eni and Sonatrach, by the effects of this substance on the international market, indicating that the signed agreements are the basis for cooperation between the two countries.

In response to a question about the Meloni government’s position on Russia, which it considers a competitor, while Moscow is an ally of Algeria, which submitted a request to join the “BRICS” group, and the possibility that this constitutes an obstacle, Touahria explained that Algeria has excellent relations with all countries of the world, including the United States and China, which, according to him, Algeria chose Italy to be its first energy partner, and therefore there is no contradiction.

On immigration, Touahria confirmed that Algeria is determined to impose more control on its borders and stop the flow of migrants to southern Italy, referring to the agreement signed with the Italian Interior Ministry for cooperation between the two countries’ police services in the field of combating terrorism and illegal trafficking in migrants, adding that there must be European solidarity in the field of immigration, and hopes must be given to African youth in their homelands and not at sea.

Concerning Libya, the Algerian ambassador to Rome renewed Algeria’s position, which is on the same line as Italy, which is based on the fact that the only solution is free and democratic elections in which the Libyan people decide, explaining that Algeria can help Italy to have a greater position on the African continent, within the framework of what is known in Italy as the “Mattei plan”.

Touahria considered that, unlike France, Italy is accepted by the governments of sub-Saharan African countries, and it plays a key role in the region, and through Rome, the turning point in relations between Africa and Europe could pass.

Regarding a question about Algeria’s request to acquire 7 helicopters with the Italian company “Leonardo”, Touahria affirmed that Algeria is very happy with this project, which will move forward quickly after a two-year hiatus due to the covid19 pandemic, explaining that there is great interest in cooperation between the “Fincantieri” company (for marine industries), and the base of Mers el-Kebir in Oran (western Algeria), to implement a project to build the longest fishing vessels to help Algeria catch large quantities of tuna in its seas.

During her stay in Algiers Meloni will also go on board the Carabiniere ship of the Navy anchored in the port of Algiers and will pay homage to the figure of Enrico Mattei by making a symbolic stop at the Garden named after the Italian entrepreneur in the heart of the Algerian capital, inaugurated in November 2021 by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

According to what has been learned, a series of agreements will be signed during the Prime Minister’s mission, including some new private agreements between the energy company Sonatrach and Eni and the signing of two operating contracts.

Meloni’s mission aims to confirm Italy’s prospects as an energy hub not only for gas but in the future also for green hydrogen in the Mediterranean, positioning itself as a bridge between Africa and Europe. Algeria, which in 2022 overtook Russia as Italy’s top natural gas supplier, is the hub of the “Piano Mattei” for Africa announced by Meloni during her settlement speech at the end of October in the Chamber of Deputies.

A concept was also reaffirmed on December 3 at the Med Dialogues conference in Rome.“We need a Mattei Plan for Africa, with a non-predatory but collaborative posture,” Meloni said.

The elements that bind Italy and Algeria are many. Among these, the figure of Enrico Mattei, “friend of the Algerian revolution, tenacious and convinced defender of freedom and democratic values, committed to the independence of the Algerian people and the completion of its sovereignty”, as the inscription on the stele bears memorial in Arabic and Italian of the Mattei Garden.

In Algeria, Enrico Mattei is widely recognized for a very high role of support, friendship and closeness during the years of the national liberation war (1954-1962). Mattei has historically supported both the National Liberation Front and the provisional government of the Algerian Republic, to which he provided a significant contribution in the negotiations of the Evian Accords. His name also evokes a large number of Algerian students, future cadres and managers of the oil and energy industry, trained on his initiative in Eni schools in San Donato Milanese. The naming of a public place in Algiers after Mattei – a first-ever in the country – sanctions the establishment of a prestigious place named after an Italian and the Italian spirit in the heart of the capital.