Meloni: Algeria, Partner of Great Strategic Importance to Italy
The President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni, emphasized Wednesday in Algiers that Algeria is a partner of “great strategic importance” to Italy, noting that relations between the two countries have never been as “strong and effective” as they are today.
In a joint press statement with the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, following their talks at the Presidency of the Republic as part of her working and friendship visit to Algeria, Meloni noted that this was her second official visit to Algeria in less than four years. She said that this visit, which follows her first bilateral mission to a North African country, underscores “the importance we attach to our relations with Algeria, a partner of great strategic importance for Italy.” The Italian official noted that “the friendship between the two countries remains one of the strongest and most exceptional, particularly in an international context marked by growing instability,” explaining that the two countries have supported one another on numerous occasions.
She emphasized that her country has worked to make this friendship “even stronger during these years of joint work with the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune,” noting that “relations between the two countries have never been as solid and effective as they are today.” She further noted that “cooperation between Italy and Algeria has increasingly become a model to be emulated.”
Meloni pointed out that the areas of cooperation are “numerous and diverse, with the energy sector at the forefront,” referencing the President’s remarks regarding the two countries’ determination to “strengthen their strong and solid cooperation.” She added that this cooperation also involves the two national energy majors, “Eni” and “Sonatrach,” through work on “new prospects, such as shale gas and offshore exploration, which will allow, in the medium and long term, for strengthening of gas supply flows from Algeria to Italy.”
In the same context, she emphasized that bilateral cooperation “covers other areas that have been under development for some time, including the development of renewable energy and the completion of strategic infrastructure.” These projects will “connect the two shores of the Mediterranean by strengthening interconnectivity and thereby enhancing energy security through the ‘Transmed’ project, known as the ‘Mattei’ gas pipeline, which links Italy to Algeria, and we are continuing this work within a broader vision.”
The same official noted that “energy is both an opportunity and a tool for achieving shared development,” stressing that this vision constitutes “the core of the activities and projects we are working to implement together within the framework of the Mattei Plan for Africa.” In this regard, she reiterated that Algeria is “our most important partner,” noting that during her talks with the President of the Republic, they “assessed the various projects we have launched and the progress of the public-private initiative aimed at reclaiming more than 36,000 hectares of desert land for the production of grains and legumes.”
This project is “progressing at an accelerated pace,” according to the Italian official, who announced that during the 2026 planting season, the area of desert land brought into production would increase from “7,000 hectares to 13,000 hectares.” Meloni also said that the two countries also discussed the establishment of a vocational training center in the agricultural sector to honor the memory of “Enrico Mattei,” as well as the creation of an “Algeria-Italy Chamber of Commerce.” She also announced plans to hold a government summit in Algeria “in the very near future.” = His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Algeria, “historic event”= The President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic praised “the pivotal role” played by Algeria in order to “strengthen peace and stability in the Sahel region and combat terrorism,” affirming her country’s commitment to backing Algeria’s efforts in this field.
Regarding irregular migration, the Italian official commended the efforts made by Algeria under the leadership of the President of the Republic to combat the phenomenon and confront human trafficking networks, calling cooperation in this file “exemplary.” After highlighting the importance of strengthening humanitarian and cultural relations, Meloni touched on the upcoming official visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Algeria at the invitation of President Tebboune, describing it as “a historic event” that “confirms Algeria’s important role in bringing viewpoints closer and building bridges of cooperation between Europe and Africa.”
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Meloni said that “the Palestinian people are living in extremely harsh conditions,” calling for “working to achieve peace and stability in Palestine in accordance with international resolutions and supporting the two-state solution.” The Italian official affirmed the need to find a solution to the Western Sahara question “in line with the resolutions of the United Nations.” She also touched on the current crisis in the Middle East, expressing her country’s desire to “resume the negotiation track between Iran and the United States of America.” She further called for “a just solution that ends the Russian-Ukrainian war and guarantees stability in the region.”
