Algerian-European cooperation: Director general for the MENA region at the European Commission on official visit to Algeria

The director deneral for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf of the European Commission, Stefano Sannino, is making an official visit to Algeria from 21-24 April, to discuss with senior Algerian officials the prospects for strengthening Algerian-European co-operation.

This mission is firmly in line with the consultations carried out on the New Pact for the Mediterranean, which the European Commission will adopt in a few months, with a view to promoting a more integrated and coherent approach to regional cooperation.

During this visit, Sannino will hold talks with representatives of several Algerian ministerial departments, including Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance, and Culture. He will also take part, on Wednesday, April 23, at the Sheraton, in the opening of a conference on "New Investment Dynamics and Prospects for Cooperation" between the European Union in Algeria, jointly organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Algeria and the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency (AAPI), in the presence of representatives of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA) and the business community in Algeria.

This visit will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the EU's commitment to giving new impetus to bilateral cooperation with Algeria, within the broader and strategically articulated framework of the New Pact for the Mediterranean.

The EU aspires to a partnership that goes beyond the very strong existing relations, particularly in the energy sector, to build other strategic complementarities for sustainable and inclusive growth, in a changing geopolitical context, and in the face of shared challenges such as reindustrialization, economic competitiveness, and the green transition. It also aims to discuss with the Algerian authorities the most appropriate framework for increasing EU investment in Algeria.

Furthermore, the EU and Algeria are called upon to deepen their strategic dialogue on current major security and geopolitical issues. The fight against terrorism, migration management, and energy interconnection are now among the shared priorities on both sides of the Mediterranean.

In this context, the EU fully reaffirms its commitment to work together with Algeria to make these priorities the pillars of a reliable, ambitious and lasting partnership, based on a peaceful and fair dialogue with all EU Member States.

It should be noted that, on the sidelines of his mission, Sannino will travel to Timimoun, where he will meet with beneficiaries of the Jil Siyaha program, a concrete result of Algeria-European Union cooperation in the field of tourism. He will also explore the cultural and historical heritage of the Casbah, before concluding his stay with a visit to the National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography of Bardo, as a testament to the cultural and historical richness of this country.

Share this article: