European Council President visited Algeria to discuss gas supplies

As the war in Ukraine continues and Europe scrambles to find alternative gas supplies to Russia, Algeria is poised to make some big gains.

European Council president, Charles Michel, visited the country on Monday and described it as a "reliable" partner in energy cooperation.

"Given the international circumstances that we're all aware of, energy cooperation is obviously essential, and we see Algeria as a reliable, loyal and committed partner in the field of energy cooperation. And we have a common ambition for stability, for security, for prosperity", said Charles Michel, President of the European Council on Monday.

Before the Ukraine war, Algeria provided the European Union with some 11 percent of its gas needs, against 47 percent provided by Russia.

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed moves by Algiers to help "diversify" Europe's gas supplies. 

In June Italy and other partnerssigned a $4 billion dollars oil and gas production-sharing contract with Algeria.