Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is looking to boost already strong energy ties with Algeria to further wean Italy off Russian energy, a focus of her two-day visit to the North African nation that started yesterday.

Italian energy giant Eni signed a memorandum of understanding on May 26 with Algeria's Sonatrach to boost gas exploration in the north African nation, as Rome seeks to reduce its reliance on Russia.

It was penned during a state visit by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Rome, a few weeks after Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi made his own trip to Algiers.

Algeria's state energy firm is ready to supply Europe with more gas in view of a possible decline due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its CEO said on Feb. 27.

Sonatrach CEO Toufik Hakkar said the firm was ready to pump additional gas to the EU from its surplus via the Transmed pipeline linking Algeria to Italy.