Arkab, Slovenian National Assembly President examine boosting cooperation

ALGIERS — The Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, received Saturday, in Algiers, a parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Slovenia led by the President of the Slovenian National Assembly, Urska Klakocar Zupancic, on an official visit to Algeria, the ministry said in a press release.

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This meeting took place in the presence of Slovenia’s Ambassador to Algeria, Vice-president of the People’s National Assembly (lower house of Parliament), Monder Bouden and the ministry’s officials.

The two parties reviewed the “excellent” bilateral cooperation and partnership relations in energy and mines, as well as perspectives to reinforce them, the same source said.

Arkab and Klakocar Zupancic underlined “the dynamics in cooperation between the companies in the sector, such as those established between Sonatrach and the Slovenian company (Geoplin) in natural gas marketing, notably following the signing of an agreement last May as part of a natural gas purchase and sale contract,” as per the press release.

In this regard, the two parties underscored the cooperation, investment and partnership opportunities between companies from both countries in the energy sector, particularly in hydrocarbons and the strengthening of commercial relations in natural gas.

They also discussed other aspects of cooperation related to the exchange of experiences, investment and partnership in the mining sector, especially geological research, exploration, exploitation and transformation of mineral resources in Algeria, thanks to the promulgation of the new investment law in Algeria, which provides several facilitations and advantages to foreign operators.

The two parties also discussed “other areas of cooperation, particularly the development of new and renewable energy sources such as green hydrogen and the +SoutH2 Corridor+ project, seawater desalination, the development of smart electrical grids and cooperation in the development of nuclear applications in the medical field.”

On this occasion, the Slovenian official expressed “satisfaction with the quality of the privileged historical relations between the two countries, reiterating the Slovenian party's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation relations and expanding them to other areas of common interest such as energy and mining,” added the same source.[/ecr]