ALGIERS- The President of the European Council, Charles Michel arrived, today, in Algiers, for an official visit to the North African country.
Upon his arrival at the Houari-Boumediene international airport, Mr. Charles Michel was welcomed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Aïmene Benabderrahmane, accompanied by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, and the Minister of Trade and Export Promotion , Kamel Rezig.
Mr. Charles Michel laid a wreath of flowers at the commemorative stele of the Martyr’s Memorial in Algiers, and observed a minute of silence in tribute to the martyrs of the glorious National Liberation War. Then, he paid a visit to the National Museum of the Moudjahid where detailed explanations were provided to him on the different stages that marked the history of Algeria, in particular its fight for the recovery of its national sovereignty.
The German Press Agency (DPA) affirmed, citing diplomatic sources, that the President of the European Council will be received in audience by the President of the Republic, Abdelamdjid Tebboune. The talks will focus, according to the same agency, on the energy crisis linked to the Ukrainian conflict and its repercussions on the gas supply of the Old Continent, at a time when all European countries are preparing their weapons in the face of the risk of shortage this winter after the threat of a total stoppage of Russian gas deliveries.
European governments have been actively seeking alternatives to Russia for their gas supplies since the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a crisis with the main European supplier. The visit of the President of the European Council to Algeria comes ten days after the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, and two months after that of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Moreover, yesterday, President Tebboune held phone talks with his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, during which they exchanged views on the exceptional bilateral relations between the two friendly countries in several areas.
Charles Miche’s visit to Algiers will also be an opportunity to discuss the situation in the Sahel, the cause of Western Sahara and economic cooperation between Algiers and Brussels. In this respect, it is not excluded that the revival of the association agreement between Algeria and the European Union, signed in 2002 and entered into force on September 1, 2005, will be discussed.
