The Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, received on Tuesday the Under Secretary for South in the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Neena Malhotra, who is on an official visit to Algeria for the seventh session of Algerian-Indian political consultations.
According to a ministry statement, both sides praised the historical ties and bonds of friendship and cooperation between Algeria and India. They highlighted the positive momentum in bilateral relations, particularly following the state visit of the President of the Republic of India, Droupadi Murmu, to Algeria in October 2024, and her significant discussions with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The discussions focused on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Algeria and India in the fields of hydrocarbons, mining, and seawater desalination. Both parties reaffirmed the strength of the relations between the two countries and the prospects for their development.
During the meeting, the Minister of State presented available investment opportunities in the hydrocarbons sector, inviting Indian companies to participate in the development of oil and gas projects across various stages, from upstream to downstream. This includes exploration, production, infrastructure development, and engineering.
The Indian side expressed interest in strengthening commercial cooperation with Sonatrach, particularly in the marketing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and petroleum products.
The talks also covered partnership prospects in petrochemical industries, fertilizer production, and phosphate processing, as well as cooperation opportunities in the mining sector. These include research, exploration, exploitation of mineral resources, geological studies, mapping, and training. The Minister of State expressed Algeria’s aspiration for Indian companies to contribute to the development of new mining projects.
For its part, the Indian side confirmed its country’s interest in expanding cooperation with Algeria, especially regarding hydrocarbons, mining, exchange of expertise, and technology transfer, to support the bilateral partnership and maximize the use of available potential in both countries.
The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of India to Algeria, the Ambassador of Algeria to the Republic of India, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines in charge of Mines, Karima Bakir Tafer, along with several ministry officials.
