Algeria and Senegal have agreed to reactivate key bilateral cooperation mechanisms and deepen their strategic partnership in the energy sector following an official visit to Algiers by Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang.
During his trip aimed at revitalizing economic and political ties, Niang met with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and was later received by Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb. The delegations reviewed bilateral engagement across several priority sectors, including hydrocarbons, energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, higher education, scientific research, and vocational training.
Both governments agreed to accelerate preparations for the next session of the Algerian-Senegalese Joint Commission before the end of the year and to reactivate the Algerian-Senegalese Business Council to facilitate corporate partnerships and cross-border investment. Additionally, Algiers and Dakar plan to leverage the trade frameworks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand commercial exchanges between the two nations.
The energy sector forms the core of this renewed diplomatic push. Minister Niang met with Algerian Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab, alongside executive leadership from state energy giant Sonatrach, to discuss expanding their existing memorandum of understanding with Senegal’s national oil company, Petrosen. Cooperation efforts are set to span hydrocarbon exploration, field development, refining, petrochemicals, transportation, and marketing. Dakar is particularly focused on drawing upon Algeria’s technical expertise to support its emerging oil and gas industry, targeting key operational areas such as executive training, industrial safety, sector governance, and oil data management.
This diplomatic alignment builds upon recent bilateral economic initiatives, such as the September 2023 launch of the Algerian Bank of Senegal in Dakar and the establishment of a direct commercial maritime shipping route in 2022. While no formal financial figures or precise execution timelines were finalized during the meetings, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to translating diplomatic consensus into active economic projects.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/abj/APA