Algeria and Tunisia Discuss Strengthening Cooperation in Energy, Mining, and Renewable Projects Copy link

Algeria’s Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Sid Ali Zerrouki, convened a high-level African ministerial summit bringing together ministers and officials from across the continent, alongside representatives of regional and international organizations, regulatory bodies, and development finance institutions. The summit was held within the framework of the Global Africa Tech 2026 Forum, hosted in Algiers from March 28 to 30, 2026.

The summit’s deliberations focused on strategic discussions around digital sovereignty and integrated connectivity in Africa, considered crucial pillars in the path toward comprehensive continental integration.

The proceedings culminated in the adoption of the “Algiers Ministerial Declaration on African Communications Sovereignty and Integrated Connectivity”, a continental political document comprising fourteen articles. It sets commitments in areas such as universal connectivity, protection of critical digital infrastructure, data sovereignty, and human capital development.

These commitments are designed to be implemented over the period 2026–2030, in full alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

The declaration enshrines the principle of “sovereign inclusivity” as both a philosophical foundation and a practical orientation, rejecting any artificial contradiction between the need to connect peoples and the requirements of continental digital sovereignty. It emphasizes that expanding access and strengthening strategic autonomy are inseparable objectives. The declaration also establishes a continental framework for developing data centers, internet exchange points, sovereign cloud solutions on African soil, enhancing cybersecurity, and supporting homegrown technological ecosystems.

To follow up on these commitments, participants agreed to establish a coordination secretariat known as SPAS-GAT, tasked with facilitating cooperation among member states, promoting information exchange and best practices, monitoring priority projects, and mobilizing technical and financial partners. Its governance, operations, and hosting arrangements will be determined in consultation with member states, in harmony with existing African mechanisms.

In his address, Minister Sid Ali Zerrouki stressed that Algeria, through this forum, offers a genuine continental model of joint action, based on the vision “All networks, one convergence”, aimed at achieving full interoperability of Africa’s terrestrial, maritime, and space infrastructures. He underlined that telecommunications infrastructure is no longer a narrow sectoral issue, but a strategic pillar of sovereignty, resilience, and inclusivity, and an indispensable foundation for continental economic integration.

Participants expressed deep gratitude to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for his steadfast commitment and ongoing efforts toward building a strong, integrated, and influential Africa, founded on a collective vision of development and continental solidarity. This commitment was reflected in Algeria’s political and institutional support for hosting the forum, its consistent drive to strengthen African integration, consolidate cooperation among states, and establish structured and interconnected continental infrastructure.

At the conclusion of the summit, participants agreed to present the ministerial declaration to the next African Union Summit for consideration and adoption, thereby reinforcing its continental character and embedding its orientations within the core of Africa’s strategic agenda.

Farid Ghazali, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), underscored on Monday in Oran the central importance of the gas industry within the global energy landscape. He highlighted Algeria’s strategic role, along with its institutions, in advancing this sector across Africa and the wider region.

During his intervention in the first strategic session, held as part of the 8th AIGS Symposium dedicated to natural gas and hydrogen,Mr. Ghazali reaffirmed Algeria’s longstanding role in the global gas industry, pointing to the extensive infrastructure built over decades. He stressed that these assets now stand as a major advantage for the transformation, valorization, and export of energy resources.

He also praised Algeria’s pioneering role in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production, recalling the commissioning of the world’s first liquefaction plant in 1964, a historic achievement that established the country as a global reference in the energy sector.

On the subject of natural gas in Africa, the official stressed that it should not be seen merely as a transitional solution, but rather as a cornerstone for industrialization, the stability of power grids, and the development of industrial value chains. He further underlined that gas plays a key role in fostering regional integration through interconnections, pipelines, LNG terminals, and storage facilities.

The same official added that hydrogen represents a major strategic opportunity for the African continent, provided that an integrated ecosystem is established. This system must include renewable energies, appropriate infrastructure, financing mechanisms, and the necessary regulatory frameworks. he also stressed the necessity of making hydrogen a lever for local industrialization, rather than merely a product intended for export.

Regarding the environment, he called for enhancing the performance of the gas industry by reducing gas flaring, controlling methane emissions, and improving energy efficiency through digitalization and low-carbon technologies. He maintained that African gas must be simultaneously competitive and exemplary.

In closing, he urged the strengthening of Pan‑African cooperation to harness the continent’s energy potential as a true driver of prosperity. He stressed that regional integration and the alignment of energy policies are key to accelerating the realization of structural projects and reinforcing the resilience of the sector.

Source: The Algerian Radio