Italy and Algeria signed 13 bilateral agreements on Wednesday, covering key areas such as security, trade, energy, and telecommunications, during a high-level intergovernmental meeting in Rome.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at Villa Doria Pamphilj, where both leaders reaffirmed their deepening strategic partnership.

“Our bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented level of strength,” Meloni stated at a joint press conference, noting that Algeria is Italy’s top trade partner in Africa, with bilateral trade valued at €14 billion and Italian investments exceeding $8.5 billion.

Among the agreements was a memorandum on combating terrorism and terror financing, though specific threats were not disclosed. The two sides also agreed on a coordinated plan for migrant search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean.