The minister of Energy and Mining, Mohamed Arkab, on Sunday stressed the opportunities for presence of Algerian companies in Congo, in a meeting with the Congolese minister of hydrocarbons, the acting president of the OPEC Conference, Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua.
The meeting between the two ministers was held at the Ministry’s headquarters on the occasion of Mr Itoua’s visit to Algeria, and was extended to delegations from both countries.
At the end of the meeting, Arkab said that many areas related to the energy and hydrocarbons sector would be discussed during Itoua’s three-day visit to Algeria.
In this regard, the Minister stressed that this visit will be topped off by the signing of several agreements in the field of the development of relations in the hydrocarbons sector, “so that they reach the same level of relations between the two countries in other fields”.
Mr Arkab also mentioned the prospect of “the presence of Algerian companies in Congo which will participate in the development of the hydrocarbon sector and the oil industry in this country”.
He described as “important” the working session held today with his Congolese counterpart and the delegation accompanying him, which made it possible to address various issues within the framework of exchanges between the two parties, including the oil and gas industry and the hydrocarbon processing industry, he said.
For his part, Mr. Itoua said that “the consolidation” of “old and historic” relations between the two nations was at the heart of the exchanges between the two ministers, recalling that Algeria and Congo have always had “very convergent” points on the political, diplomatic and international level.
Mr Itoua stressed that relations in the field of energy in general and hydrocarbons in particular “were not at their level and were not visible”, compared to relations between the two countries in other areas.
This visit, “desired” by the two countries at the highest level, aims to “bring cooperation on energy, oil and gas, to the same level as the friendship between the two countries”, he explained.
The Congolese minister also emphasised that both countries “have everything to gain”, whether it be the two ministries, the two national companies or the other institutions and agencies that exist.
“We come here to a country (Algeria) that has reached maturity in the energy industry and we must be proud of that as Africans,” he said, noting that Congo is in the midst of “reorganisation and reform” of its sector (hydrocarbons and energy).
Mr Itoua also highlighted the role Algeria plays as a ” pivot between Africa and Europe “, but also its role on the continental level, reaffirming his pride in ” what Algeria does, what Sonatrach does “.
The minister also indicated that this visit “will be marked by the signing of memoranda of understanding following which work will be done for the benefit of both countries and Africa.
