The Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, Enrico Giovannini, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Minister of Public Works of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Kamel Nasri, for cooperation in the field of public works, infrastructure and mobility. The understanding was signed today in Algiers during the fourth Italy-Algeria Intergovernmental Summit, at the end of bilateral talks between Ministry Giovannini and his counterpart, held in the El Mouradia Presidential Palace.
During the meeting, the ministers discussed possible areas of cooperation and development, with special reference to major public works, including roads, motorways, bridges and airport, port, maritime and railway infrastructure. Today’s MOU aims, among other things, to optimize direct investment opportunities, develop forms of cooperation in the field of public works and related institutional, legal, economic and technical aspects and in training and research.
“This agreement strengthens the bond between our countries and opens up prospects for mutual development in a number of fields, to be implemented through cooperation, and is particularly important for our country, especially in the current scenario,” said Minister Giovannini. “I am certain that the Memorandum will foster numerous opportunities for the exchange of best practices and in-depth study between experts in the sectors the agreement focuses on,” he added, “as well as possibilities for economic and commercial cooperation for companies.” Minister Giovannini then stressed that the issue of sustainability is “increasingly central also for the purpose of safeguarding the common Mediterranean area.” On the subject of infrastructure development,” he pointed out, “Algeria may find the Italian experience of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of interest.”
Cooperation will be based, among other things, on the exchange of experience in the construction, maintenance, use and management of infrastructure, in the promotion of partnerships between Algerian and Italian companies, laboratories, and research firms, training and retraining of managers, technical supervision of public works and applied research.
With a view to promoting the increasing cooperation between Italian and Algerian businesses, the minister stressed the importance of ensuring a favorable climate for Italian investors by referring, among other things, to the swift resolution of pending trade disputes.
Translation by Giles Foster
