The Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, discussed Sunday in Algiers, the prospects of the presence of Algerian companies in Congo, with the Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo, current President of the Conference of the OPEC, Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua.
The meeting between the two ministers was held at the ministry’s headquarters, during Mr. Itoua’s visit to Algeria, then extended to delegations from the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Arkab indicated that many areas, related to the energy and hydrocarbons sector, will be discussed during Mr. Itoua’s three-day visit to Algeria.
To this end, the Minister underlined that this visit will be crowned 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 the other areas”.
Mr. Arkab also mentioned the prospect of “the presence of Algerian companies in Congo which will participate in the development of the hydrocarbons sector and the oil industry in this country”.
He thus described as “important” the working session held today with his Congolese counterpart and the delegation accompanying him, having made it possible to address various axes in the framework of exchanges between the two parties, in particular the oil and gas industry and the hydrocarbon processing industry, he said.
For his part, Mr. Itoua affirmed 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 “politically, diplomatically and internationally.
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 fields.
This “desired” visit between the two countries at the highest level, aims to “bring cooperation in energy, oil and gas to the same level as the friendship between the two countries”, he explained.
The Congolese minister also insisted that the two countries “have everything to gain”, whether it is the two ministries, the two national companies or the other institutions and agencies that exist.
“We are here in a country (Algeria) which has reached maturity in the energy industry and we must be proud of that as Africans,” he said, noting that Congo is in full “reorganization and reform” of its sector (hydrocarbons and energy).
Mr. Itoua also highlighted the role that Algeria plays as a “hinge point between Africa and Europe”, but also its role on the continental level, reaffirming his pride in “what Algeria does, in what Sonatrach does”.
The minister also indicated that this visit “will be marked by the signing of memorandums of understanding following which work will be done for the benefit of the two countries and Africa”.
