Italian PM visits Algeria For Bilateral Summit

Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi has arrived in Algeria for the fourth Algerian-Italian bilateral summit, where several agreements are expected to be signed, including an energy deal.

This is the second visit to Algeria by the Italian Prime Minister in four months, having also made a trip to the North African country in April.

Mr. Draghi was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, with whom he would spearhead the talks.

According to reports, the energy deal will see Italy receive significant volumes of natural gas.

Dependence

The European nation has increasingly looked to Algeria, historically its second biggest supplier, to reduce that dependence after the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine sparked sanctions against Moscow and sent energy prices soaring.

At a joint press conference on Monday, Draghi told reporters that Algeria has supplanted Russia to “become in recent months the biggest supplier of gas,” to Italy.

CGTN/CO