Algerian Radio
The Minister of State, Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, co-chaired the 13th session of the Algerian-Russian Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation this Friday in Moscou. The session was co-led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Patrushev, the co-chair for the Russian side.
Prior to the start of the session, the Minister of State held bilateral talks with Mr. Dmitry Patrushev, during which they reviewed the status of Algerian-Russian relations and prospects for their enhancement. Both parties affirmed that the steps taken by the two countries in recent years have contributed to providing a new momentum to bilateral cooperation and elevating their strategic partnership. They emphasized that this session represents a fresh opportunity to strengthen the foundations of economic, commercial, scientific, and technical cooperation.
The proceedings were attended by the Ambassador of Algeria to the Russian Federation, Mr. Toufik Jouamaa, and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Algeria, Mr. Alexey Solomatin, along with officials, experts, and representatives from the economic and scientific sectors of both countries.
In his opening address, the Minister of State emphasized that the holding of this session reflects the strength of the historical ties between Algeria and Russia and the depth of the existing strategic partnership. He noted that this partnership was significantly bolstered following the state visit of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to the Russian Federation in 2023, which resulted in the Declaration of Deep Strategic Partnership.
Mr. Mohamed Arkab highlighted that hydrocarbons, mining, and energy sectors remain the most promising areas of cooperation, given Algeria's vast potential and Russia's technological and industrial expertise. He stressed the importance of developing existing partnerships and expanding them to include new projects in oil and gas, processing industries, renewable energies, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
In this context, the Minister of State reviewed the ambitious national program for the development of the mining sector, inviting Russian companies to seize investment opportunities in iron, phosphate, zinc, and strategic minerals. He also addressed efforts to enhance the attractiveness of the hydrocarbons sector through the "Algeria Bid Round 2026" international tender, expressing Algeria's anticipation for the participation of major Russian companies.
Furthermore, he highlighted Algeria’s progress in its energy transition strategy, developing major solar energy and green hydrogen projects, and called for reinforced cooperation in these future-oriented fields.
For his part, Mr. Dmitry Patrushev emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation to new value-added fields, praising the potential for joint investment in energy, industry, health, and sports. He specifically lauded the ongoing cooperation between the Russian company Gazprom and the Sonatrach group, expressing the readiness of Russian firms to contribute their expertise in gas exploration, production, and processing, as well as nuclear medicine.
The Russian official noted that the session was characterized by in-depth sectoral consultations, resulting in a session protocol that will serve as a roadmap for the coming period. At the conclusion of the proceedings, both parties expressed their satisfaction with the results achieved, confirming their determination to continue coordination. It was agreed that Algeria will host the 14th session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission.
