[ecr]

The projects include the construction of a refinery and a petrochemical complex, he said in a statement to the press on the sidelines of his visit to the Arzew refinery, accompanied by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Abdelkrim Aouissi, the Governor of Oran, Said Sayoud, and local authorities.

“We are counting on the support of Algeria, a brotherly country, for the implementation of these two projects, which are of great importance for the development of the energy sector in Niger,” he emphasized.

The refinery project is currently maturing and Niger would like to benefit from Algeria's support in the construction and assembly phases, he continued.

Describing Algeria as “the pride of Africa”, he emphasized that it could be a compass for the construction of energy infrastructures in African countries.

For his part, the SG of the Ministry of Energy affirmed that the national company Sonatrach was ready to back Niger in the development of its refining and petrochemical activities.

Algeria is also open to studying any investment proposal in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is already present, assured the same official.

Niger's oil minister began his visit to Oran with the headquarters of the liquefaction and separation activity (LQS), where he attended a presentation on the Arzew industrial zone and the various units belonging to the Sonatrach Group. He also visited the Algeria-Omani Fertilizers Company (AOA) and the Arzew refinery, located in the same industrial zone, as well as the Sonatrach Management Academy (SMA).[/ecr]