Ljubljana: The second day of the state visit by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to the Republic of Slovenia, featured the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in various sectors, as well as a convergence of views between the two friendly countries on numerous issues of common interest. In this regard, President Tebboune noted in a joint statement with his Slovenian counterpart, Natasa Pirc Musar, that there is ‘a total convergence’ between the two countries on all issues.
According to Algeria Press Service, President Tebboune expressed ‘Algeria’s willingness to meet all the gas needs of this friendly country.’ The President affirmed that Algeria, being ‘a reliable country,’ is ‘willing to meet Slovenia’s gas needs,’ and assured that ‘our country will not be affected by upcoming changes.’ He also discussed the potential for Slovenia to contribute to Algerian projects, particularly in ‘wastewater treatment and recycling for agriculture and industry reuse,’ highlighting Slovenia’s extensive experience in this area.
President Tebboune commended ‘the courageous and sincere stances’ of Slovenia regarding the Palestinian question, noting Slovenia was ‘the first European state to recognize the State of Palestine.’ He praised this step as ‘greatly honorable’ and lauded Slovenia’s position on the Western Sahara issue, hoping for ‘a solution under the auspices of the United Nations that enshrines the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination through the organization of a referendum.’
He emphasized Algeria’s commitment to peace, stating, ‘regardless of what might be said elsewhere, Algeria remains a peaceful state whose main concern is establishing peace in the region, across the Mediterranean and worldwide.’ He added that since independence, Algeria has sought to resolve crises through dialogue and understanding, aligning closely with Slovenia’s foreign policy.
Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar echoed these sentiments, affirming that the high-level delegation accompanying President Tebboune reflects the ‘strong will’ of both nations to ‘deepen’ their bilateral relations. She urged the international community to ‘ramp up dialogue toward immediate action to halt Israeli aggressions against Gaza’ and reiterated Slovenia’s stance on the Western Sahara issue, advocating for the ‘right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination as part of international legality.’
The presidents co-chaired the opening of the Algerian-Slovenian Business Forum, aimed at enhancing economic and trade relations. President Tebboune called on businessmen from both countries to strengthen these relations to match their political understanding. He highlighted Algeria’s economic strength, noting it is ‘the only African country without foreign debt,’ which underscores its sovereign and independent decision-making.
In collaboration with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, President Tebboune signed a Joint Declaration and oversaw the signing ceremony of various agreements and MoUs. These included a political consultation mechanism, police cooperation, maritime transport, and peaceful space activities. Additionally, MoUs were signed between the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACI) and its Slovenian counterpart, and between the Algerian Council for Economic Renewal (CREA) and the Slovenian Public Agency for Investment and Entrepreneurship, alongside a contract for natural gas supply between Algeria’s Sonatrach and Slovenia’s Geoplin.
In a statement following the signing ceremony, President Tebboune noted that ‘recent developments between the two countries will usher in new developments, especially regarding cooperation in key sectors such as higher education, heavy industries, environment, pharmaceuticals, water, space activities, medicine, AI and others.’