[ecr]

During a meeting with Ismail Abdel Vetah, the Director General of the Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company (SMH), at the ministry's headquarters, Arkab reaffirmed Algeria's commitment to strengthening its relations with Mauritania in the energy sector to foster economic synergies between the two countries and serve their common interests, according to the statement.

In this regard, he said that the Sonatrach group was willing to share its know-how and back the Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company by providing training and transferring technical knowledge, with a view to contributing to the development of the Mauritanian oil and gas industry.

Algeria attaches “particular importance” to supporting hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation projects in Mauritania, including Sonatrach's investments in this area, the minister added.

He highlighted the significance of strategic partnerships in strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting, which took place in the presence of Sonatrach group's CEO, Rachid Hachichi, and ministry officials, also focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between the Sonatrach group and SMH in the various stages of the hydrocarbon sector's value chain, ranging from exploration and production to transportation and marketing, according to the statement.

Both parties also emphasized “the importance of intensifying efforts to explore and develop Mauritanian oil resources, as part of a strategic vision aimed at deepening cooperation in the fields of exploration, production, transportation and processing.”

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