الجمعة 01 أوت 2025

Algeria and Italy Seal Strategic Partnership with Broad-Spectrum Agreements Anchored in Trust and Mutual Ambition

Published on:
By: Hana Saada
Algeria and Italy Seal Strategic Partnership with Broad-Spectrum Agreements Anchored in Trust and Mutual Ambition

Algeria and Italy Seal Strategic Partnership with Broad-Spectrum Agreements Anchored in Trust and Mutual Ambition

By Dr. Hana Saada

 

ROME – In a historic diplomatic stride underscoring a renewed era of Mediterranean cooperation, Algeria and Italy on Wednesday solidified their strategic alliance with the signing of over twenty agreements and memoranda of understanding during the 5th Intergovernmental Summit held at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome. Spearheaded by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, this comprehensive accord marks a defining moment in bilateral relations, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to a shared vision of progress, stability, and economic transformation.

 

A Transformational Partnership Forged at the Highest Level

 

President Tebboune, accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation, led the negotiations and formalizations of wide-ranging agreements spanning critical sectors such as agriculture, food processing, fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime resources — domains that now sit at the heart of the Mediterranean’s food security agenda. Beyond symbolic diplomacy, these agreements reflect an actionable roadmap for inclusive and sustainable development.

 

Central to the summit was the reinforcement of energy cooperation — the historical backbone of Algerian-Italian relations. The signing of a new high-value protocol between SONATRACH and Italian energy giant ENI sets the stage for intensified collaboration in hydrocarbon exploitation, the expansion of gas production, and the extension of export contracts. As Italy remains Algeria’s leading energy client, absorbing over a quarter of its gas exports, this partnership is expected to consolidate Europe’s energy security while anchoring Algeria’s transition towards renewable sources.

 

Pioneering Cooperation in Renewable Energy and Digitalization

 

In a decisive step towards future-proofing the bilateral alliance, the two national companies also pledged to launch new initiatives in renewable energy and energy transition. This forward-thinking strategy is a natural extension of the historic Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline and reflects a commitment to the Mattei Plan — a framework emphasizing energy resilience and equitable cooperation.

 

Moreover, cooperation agreements signed in fields such as telecommunications, inclusive care for persons with disabilities, wildfire prevention, and the mutual recognition of driving licenses highlight the holistic and human-centered nature of this partnership. A particularly notable agreement focuses on cinematic co-production, laying the foundation for a revitalized cultural dialogue — long absent in Euro-Mediterranean dynamics.

 

Boosting Investment and Economic Diversification

 

A pivotal memorandum was signed between Algeria’s AAPI (Agency for Investment Promotion) and Italy’s Invitalia, aimed at attracting Italian capital, fostering joint ventures, and accelerating Algeria’s drive to diversify an economy still tethered to hydrocarbon revenues. This initiative aligns with Algeria’s ambitious industrial revitalization agenda and Italy’s expanding footprint in African emerging markets.

 

Further strengthening the strategic backbone of this partnership, security and defense agreements were also formalized. These include a renewed cooperation framework in counterterrorism and a joint declaration on defense coordination — evidence of a maturing dialogue that traces its roots to more than two decades of political trust and strategic convergence.

 

An Economic Forum That Echoes the New Bilateral Dynamic

 

Parallel to the summit, the Algerian-Italian Business Forum brought together over 400 economic operators, primarily from Italy, in an unprecedented show of interest and engagement. The forum served not only as a networking platform but also as a catalyst for industrial and logistical cooperation. Both nations now appear poised to transcend traditional trade relationships and co-create an integrated Mediterranean economic corridor.

 

With nearly $15 billion in trade already exchanged in the early months of 2025, Italy has officially overtaken France to become Algeria’s foremost commercial partner — a seismic shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region. This transformation reflects the deepening complementarity between the two economies, once viewed as rivals in the Mediterranean basin.

 

A Strategic Alliance Rooted in Shared History and Common Aspirations

 

From the legacy of Roman civilization to Italy’s unwavering diplomatic support during Algeria’s War of Independence and the 2003 Treaty of Friendship, the Algerian-Italian relationship draws its strength from a rich and resilient historical fabric. Today, this bond finds renewed expression in a rare level of political dialogue within the Arab world and an energetic articulation of the “Mattei model,” which balances energy sovereignty with mutual benefit.

 

President Tebboune emphasized that the summit’s outcomes — including sectoral agreements and the dynamic business exchanges — “open vast and promising horizons for a strategic and exemplary partnership between Algeria and Italy, reflecting the depth of historical relations and the deeply rooted bonds of friendship uniting the two nations.”

 

A Model for the Mediterranean and Beyond

 

As geopolitical instability looms large across the southern Mediterranean, Algeria and Italy’s coordinated focus on anti-terrorism, vocational training, and industrial development illustrates a rare capacity to anticipate and co-manage future challenges. Their cooperation emerges not as a short-term tactical alignment but as a long-term, values-driven alliance anchored in sovereignty, strategic foresight, and shared prosperity.

 

The President’s Rome visit, the high-level political engagement, the record-breaking economic mobilization, and the sheer breadth of agreements signed all point to a watershed moment in North-South Mediterranean relations. In a region too often fragmented by crises, the Alger-Rome axis is positioning itself as a beacon of constructive diplomacy, pragmatic cooperation, and enduring stability — a partnership of equals, with global resonance.

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