Algeria becomes Italy's largest gas supplier in 2006

Algeria has become Italy's number one gas supplier in 2006, Algerian news agency APS reported on Wednesday.

With an increase of 3.5 percent compared to 2005, Algeria supplied 33 percent of all the natural gas used in Italy in 2006 against 30 percent from Russia, according to the same source.

In November 2006, Algeria and Italy signed a series of five agreements on the commercialization of Algeria's natural gas, during Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi's visit to Algeria.

Italy's importation of hydrocarbon products from Algeria rose by 30 percent in 2006 to reach about 8 billion euros (10.7 billion U.S. dollars), 99 percent of which represented natural gas and other petroleum products.

Trade between the two countries in 2006 stood at 9.6 billion euros (12.5 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of more than 28 percent compared to 2005.

Source: Xinhua