The European Union's
foreign policy leader Josep Borrell on Monday during a visit to Algeria called
for increased energy cooperation with Africa's top gas exporter as well as
enhanced security relations.
Approximately "90
percent of Algerian gas exports go to Europe, and we know we can count on
Algeria, which is a solid partner and has been through difficult times,"
Borrell said following a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The 27-nation bloc
wants to strengthen its relationship with Algeria "looking to the future,
by prioritising European investments in the renewable energy sector,"
Borrell said in a statement.
Italy is leading the
pack of European nations that have turned to Algeria as a substitute for
Russian gas after last year's invasion of Ukraine caused prices to skyrocket.
Noting the
"economic and human consequences on the entire world," Borrell urged
Algeria to "join efforts... to stop this senseless war."
Despite Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, Algeria has maintained cordial relations with both its
European neighbours and Moscow.
President Tebboune
decided in February to restore the Algerian Embassy in Kyiv, which had been
closed since the invasion's start last year. Tebboune is scheduled to travel to
Russia in May.
In addition, Borrell
stated that Algeria and the EU had agreed to "relaunch high-level security
conversation," with the first talks scheduled for the year's end.
This demonstrates that
Algeria is an important ally in the struggle against terrorism in our common
neighbourhood.
Borrell praised
Algeria's "strong history of battling against terrorism" and urged a
"global and strategic vision" to combat challenges, especially in the
Sahel region.
Once Madrid changed
its long-standing policy of neutrality regarding the Western Sahara, the North
African nation cancelled a cooperative agreement with that country.