Italian PM Giorgia Meloni on official trip to Algeria

Italian far right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is on an official trip to Algeria to meet President Abdelmajid Tebboune, reports Le Matin d’Algerie on 25th March. This is Meloni’s second visit to Algiers since she was elected in October 2022, while Tebboune was received in Rome in July 2024, when the pair signed over 40 bilateral agreements.

In a context of worsening crisis in the Middle East threatening Europe’s gas and oil supply routes, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Italy is now looking to reinforce its strategic partnership with the North African country, one of Africa’s main oil producers.

However, Algerian exports have reduced by 6% over the past year, due to local demand: most of the electric network in Algeria relies on gas. It is thus unlikely that Algeria would be able to answer significantly increased demand from Europe to cover the loss of Middle Eastern imports.

In a joint press conference, Meloni emphasised the deep and historical friendship between both countries. Italy perceives Algeria as a reliable partner in North Africa, while Algeria had been looking to form new alliances in the context of tensions with France and Spain, who have both supported the Moroccan plan on the sensitive Western Sahara issue.

Meloni stated that Italy was in favour of the ongoing negotiations on the Western Sahara, to find a “mutually acceptable” solution, maintaining a pragmatic position. Her visit ended with the announcement of the establishment of an Algeria-Italy chamber of commerce, cementing their economic partnership.

Italy already signed an energy deal with Algerian oil giant Sonatrach in July 2025, and it is now its main gas supplier, providing almost a third of the country’s needs. The gas is conveyed through the Transmed pipeline which crosses through Tunisia and Sicily, which is critical for European energy markets. There are also plans to retrofit parts of the pipeline for green hydrogen transport, which would support Europe’s decarbonization goals.

Le Matin d’Algerie, France 24, Maghrebi.org