Macron Seeks Warmer Algeria Ties, But a Gas Deal Is Elusive
- French president will travel to former colony Thursday
- Visit is about relations, not gas deals, officials say
Emmanuel Macron
Photographer: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
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Emmanuel Macron travels this week to Algeria, a former French colony and one of the world’s largest gas producers. But it’s unlikely the French president will return with the one thing that has European leaders scouring the globe for: commitments for alternative supplies of liquefied natural gas.
Even though Macron will be accompanied by Catherine Macgregor, chief executive officer of utility Engie SA, the trip is not about replacing gas imports from Russia but about mending relations, according to French officials close to the president. Furthermore, it’s unlikely Algeria has excess supply to offer France.