Hommam Al Nassim 
The Algerian hydrocarbon company Sonatrach began supplying two additional Eastern European countries, Croatia and Hungary, for the first time with natural gas, after transporting the first gas shipment to Croatia via an Algerian gas tanker.
Sonatrach announced today, Tuesday, that it had succeeded, on May 22, in delivering the first shipment of liquefied natural gas to Croatia, at the level of the floating station to convert the gas to its natural state, and confirmed that this shipment, which was shipped from the liquefaction complex in Batioua, Oran, western Algeria. It was delivered via the “Ouqarta” gas tanker, owned by Sonatrach.
The Algerian company considered this process to be the result of close cooperation with the concerned parties in Croatia, which has continued since the start of operation of this station in 2021, as part of the liquefied gas reconverted to its gaseous state will be transported to Hungary via the Croatian gas network. Sonatrach confirmed that it intends to increase its exports to countries in this region, thus enhancing its pivotal role in ensuring gas supplies to Europe.
Last September, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf undertook a tour of Eastern European countries, including Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania, during which he announced his desire to expand cooperation in the field of energy, especially between Algeria and the countries of the region. On the same occasion, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced that his country “wants to import Algerian gas, as part of its strategy aimed at diversifying its sources of financing,” revealing the start of negotiations between the two countries to ensure the arrival of supplies of Algerian gas to Hungary.
Within the same context is the agreement signed last November between Algeria and Slovenia, to pump gas supplies of about 300 million cubic meters annually, through the current pipeline linking Algeria to Italy, which strengthens Algeria’s presence in the European market. Last December, he announced talks between Hungary and Slovenia to build a gas pipeline to connect the two countries, allowing Hungary to reduce its dependence on Russian supplies, and ensuring the access of Algerian gas to it.
Yesterday, Monday, the Sonatrach group announced the signing of an agreement with the Slovenian company “Geopline”, according to which the quantities of natural gas transported to Slovenia via the gas pipeline linking Algeria to Italy will be increased, on the occasion of the visit of Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golub to Algeria. This agreement, which was negotiated within the framework of a contract for the purchase and sale of natural gas linking the two companies, relates to increasing the quantities of natural gas transported to Slovenia via the gas pipeline linking Algeria to Italy, thus strengthening energy ties between Algeria and Slovenia.
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