Algeria is taking strategic steps to expand its energy partnership with the United States as tensions over the Western Sahara dispute continue to mount.
- Algeria is enhancing its energy partnership with the U.S. amidst Western Sahara tensions.
- Washington shows interest in reviving Western Sahara negotiations ahead of a UN session.
- Economic partnerships align with Algeria’s diplomatic strategies and regional positioning.
This renewed engagement comes as part of Algeria’s broader push to assert economic diplomacy in the face of growing international pressure surrounding the long-standing territorial issue.
On June 24, the Secretary-General of Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lounes Magramane, met with U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Moore Aubin to discuss regional developments and bilateral cooperation.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties, with Ambassador Aubin later emphasizing the importance of this dialogue through her social media platforms.
As U.S. interest in the Western Sahara issue intensifies, reports indicate that Washington may be looking to revive stalled negotiations ahead of a key UN Security Council session scheduled for October.
The Trump administration is said to support Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal, prompting Algeria to step up its own diplomatic efforts.
Algeria deepens energy investment with US firms
In a parallel move on the economic front, Algeria has opened its doors wider to American energy investors.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently held back-to-back meetings with top executives from Chevron and ExxonMobil. Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab and Sonatrach CEO Rachid Hachichi were also present, signaling a unified and high-level push for foreign partnership.
Central to Algeria’s new approach is a proposed energy law that would allow foreign companies to hold up to 80 percent ownership in new oil and gas ventures marking a major shift from previous investment rules.
Minister Arkab described the legislation as a transformative step, aimed at modernizing the sector while maintaining national resource control.
Earlier this year, Algeria’s Ambassador to the U.S., Sabri Boukadoum, also expressed the country’s openness to negotiating broad resource-based agreements with Washington, stating that “the sky’s the limit.”
As efforts to reignite UN-led talks on Western Sahara remain uncertain, Algeria’s energy overtures could serve both as an economic opportunity and a calculated diplomatic response.
Fathia Olasupo
