• Niger’s Tiani begins two-day visit to Algeria

• Trip follows ambassador recall and diplomatic normalization

• Countries advance gas pipeline and energy cooperation projects

Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tiani arrived in Algiers on Saturday for a two-day working visit aimed at strengthening ties between the neighboring countries, Algeria’s state news agency reported.

The visit, at the invitation of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, is intended to strengthen bilateral cooperation and good-neighborly relations and to maximize the two countries’ potential for the benefit of their peoples, Algérie Presse Service said.

Tiani is accompanied by a delegation that includes the ministers of national defense, health, and infrastructure.

The visit follows President Tebboune’s decision on Feb. 12 to recall Algeria’s ambassador to Niamey. On the same day, Niger’s ambassador to Algeria resumed duties in Algiers, signaling a normalization of diplomatic relations.

The trip also comes as Algiers appears to be seeking a stronger role in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), after signing a cooperation agreement with Burkina Faso last Friday covering hydrocarbons, energy, mining and training.

In recent months, Niger and Algeria have stepped up exchanges and renewed cooperation, marking a shift in bilateral relations. In January, a delegation from Algerian oil company Sonatrach visited Niger to discuss plans to build a refinery and petrochemical complex in the country.

On Feb. 11, Algeria, Niger and Nigeria signed three agreements to accelerate the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project, which aims to transport Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria.

Relations between Algiers and Niamey had deteriorated after the July 26, 2023 coup. Algeria subsequently proposed a six-month mediation initiative, open to all Nigerien political forces, to facilitate a return to constitutional order. Trade between the two countries was estimated at $55 million in 2024, according to the International Trade Center.

Lydie Mobio