Algeria and Ivory Coast agreed on Thursday to develop a draft cooperation agreement between the two countries in the field of energy, which will be signed at the end of the current year, according to a press release from the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
This agreement comes following the talks between the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, via videoconference, and the Ivorian Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, which focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy.
The two parties agreed to form a joint working team and to establish a roadmap for the development of bilateral cooperation relations, in addition to the development of a draft cooperation agreement in the field of energy, which will be signed during the next visit of the Ivorian minister to Algeria this year,” according to the statement.
During the talks, which were attended by officials from the ministry, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them in the field of energy and mining.
In addition, the two ministers reviewed the opportunities for cooperation between the two countries throughout the value chain in the hydrocarbon sector,” the statement added.
In this regard, the Ivorian minister highlighted the experience that Algeria can bring, through Sonatrach, in the areas of research and exploration of hydrocarbons (upstream and downstream), development of fields, refining, production and transport of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), transport and distribution of petroleum products, as well as in the organizational and training fields, particularly following the discoveries of oil and gas in Côte d’Ivoire.
The two parties also discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of electricity production and transmission, as well as the maintenance and manufacturing of electricity equipment, training, and the exchange of expertise in these areas between Sonelgaz and the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE), in addition to working to develop the African electricity network.
At the same time, Mr. Arkab stressed “Algeria’s willingness to support the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire through training and the transfer of know-how in several areas, such as hydrocarbons and electricity.”
