Blanar Opens New Slovak Embassy in Algeria

Algiers, September 9 (TASR-correspondent) – Slovakia and Algeria are beginning to write a new era of their diplomatic, economic and bilateral relations after a 22-year lull, said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar after opening the new Slovak embassy in Algiers, TASR has learnt from its special correspondent. Slovakia closed its embassy in Algeria in 2004, and the last time that a Slovak foreign minister visited this North African country was 19 years ago, said Blanar, who therefore described the partnership between the two countries as "somewhat neglected". However, he said that the situation has changed since the current government altered its approach towards African and Indo-Pacific countries. Algeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Attaf took part in the embassy's opening as well. According to Blanar, Algeria's economy means a lot both to Slovakia and to the European Union, with Algeria being the EU's third-largest gas supplier. "What is important for us, for the Slovak Republic, is that when we have to stop buying gas from the Russian Federation in September 2027, not by our own decision but by the decision of the European Union, one of the significant potential partners for diversifying our gas supplies is precisely Algeria," he said, noting that Algeria is connected to Italy by a gas pipeline, thereby creating the possibility of transporting gas to Slovakia as well. The Slovak delegation also included representatives of gas utility SPP, who held talks in Algiers on preparing such a contract. Blanar and his Algerian counterpart on Wednesday signed a new inter-governmental agreement on economic cooperation, which includes plans to set up an intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. Blanar later added that if the commission meets in Slovakia early next year and defines the scope of bilateral cooperation, Slovakia is ready for its premier to visit Algeria along with a business mission. The ministers signed a memorandum of cooperation between the diplomatic academies of the two countries. They also discussed a planned agreement on combating terrorism and illegal migration. "Algeria is one of the key countries that can help us to address illegal migration together with the European Union, which is a major issue for Slovakia and for the V4 [Visegrad Four - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary]," stated Blanar. ko/df