Italy: strengthen ties with Algeria to depend less on Russian gas

This photo, taken and distributed on January 23, 2023 by the Italian government's press office, shows Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (r) welcoming Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upon his arrival for their meeting at the presidential palace in Algiers.

The Italian Prime Minister and several ministers traveled to Algeria on January 22, 2023 for a two-day working visit.

© AFP - HANDOUT

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

During her two-day official visit to Algiers, where she met President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, was accompanied, among others, by the CEO of ENI, Claudio Descalzi.

Objective number one: strengthen ties with Algeria so that Italy, which depends 95% on imports for its gas needs, frees itself from Russian hydrocarbons.

In fact, Algeria has become its first gas supplier.

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With our correspondent in Rome,

Anne Le Nir

Thanks to the efforts of Mario Draghi, the predecessor of Giorgia Meloni, Italy has already reduced its imports of Russian gas to 25% in 2022 from 40% the previous year.

According to the new agreement, signed between the companies ENI and Sonatrach, the peninsula should completely free itself from Russian gas within the next three years.

This agreement provides for the import of 3 billion cubic meters of additional gas, per year, between 2023 and 2025, through the Trans Med gas pipeline which links Algeria to Italy, via Tunisia.

The ENI group and its Algerian counterpart have also signed two memorandums of understanding.

One to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Algeria.

The other for the construction of a new gas pipeline to transport gas and hydrogen.

Italy could thus become an energy hub in Europe.

►To re-read: Italy: in the midst of a political crisis, Mario Draghi in Algeria in search of alternatives to Russian gas

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  • Italy

  • Energies

  • Algeria

  • Giorgia Meloni