Russian diplomatic chief to visit Algeria

The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, is visiting Algeria on Tuesday, a key ally of Moscow and a gas exporter increasingly sought after by Europe seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.

Lavrov who arrived in Algiers on Monday evening is due to hold talks with his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, and be received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, according to media reports.

The visit, Lavrov's first to Algeria since January 2019, coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Algeria.

On 18 April, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Mr Tebboune to discuss "coordination within the Opec", as well as the situation in Ukraine, according to the official Russian agency TASS.

Algeria, a leading gas exporter, supplies about 11% of the gas consumed in Europe, compared to 47% by Russia.

Several countries seeking to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies since the invasion of Ukraine have turned to Algeria, which is also a Moscow ally, but Algiers has a very limited capacity to increase its exports.