ROME: Italy’s Business Minister Adolfo Urso on Wednesday met with Algerian Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane in Algiers.
“The meeting was an opportunity to review all the progress made so far in the partnership between the two countries,” an aide to Urso told Arab News after the meeting. “They intend to consolidate all those results — they’re strategic.”
Urso on Tuesday met with Algerian Minister of Trade and Export Promotion Tayeb Zitouni. “Italy definitely wants to be a strategic partner for Algeria,” Urso said in a press briefing attended by Arab News.
“We’ve been always working together, even in difficult times. Together, we achieve results that will benefit the entire Mediterranean region.”
Meanwhile, Algeria’s president said he wants “to establish a strategic partnership with Italy to strengthen cooperation in various fields and sectors between the two countries.”
Abdelmadjid Tebboune made his remarks during his visit on Tuesday to the Italian pavilion at the 54th edition of the Algiers International Fair, where Italy is the guest of honor.
He stressed “the importance of cooperation between the two countries in different fields,” and expressed his “satisfaction with the high level of relations between Algeria and Italy, which date back many years.” Algeria, he added, “is ready to collaborate with Italy in all areas of interest for both countries.”
Tebboune referred to the plan by Italian car manufacturer Fiat to build a plant in Algeria’s second-largest city Oran. Up to 90,000 cars per year are expected to be produced in the plant from the end of 2023.
He stressed “the need to accelerate the launch of the production of cars of this Italian brand in Algeria, in order to meet the needs of our national market,” adding that his country “is keen to overcome any difficulty so that we can achieve this important result.”
