Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz adopted a joint declaration on a “strategic agenda” for bilateral partnership during a state visit to Berlin on 16 July, accompanied by the signing of a new natural gas supply contract between Sonatrach and the German utility VNG. The declaration, which both sides described as a milestone, establishes regular high-level political consultations, commits to deepening trade and investment ties, and reaffirms support for the SoutH2 hydrogen corridor—a European Union “Global Gateway” project linking Algeria to Italy and onward to Germany. A separate joint declaration of intent on cooperation to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector was also signed, with Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab stating it reflected a shared will to modernise infrastructure and adopt advanced monitoring technologies.

In a joint press conference, President Tebboune opened by offering condolences for the eleven victims of a fire that swept through a state-run children’s home in Algiers’ Mohammadia suburb earlier that morning, a tragedy he described as a moment of great sorrow. The fire, which also injured nineteen people, occurred amid a severe heatwave that has seen civil protection units battle over 900 blazes nationwide since 8 July. Algerian authorities have not yet disclosed the cause, and the civil defence described the death toll as provisional. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited the wounded, and a funeral with full state honours was held the same day.

Asked about the case of French journalist Christophe Gleizes—sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria on charges of “apologising for terrorism” and whose family has requested a presidential pardon—Tebboune declined to answer on foreign soil. “Out of respect for Algerian justice, I will only answer this question in Algeria,” he said. The refusal underscores the sensitivity of the dossier, which remains a principal obstacle in the stalled normalisation of Franco-Algerian relations. Gleizes’s lawyers recently withdrew a cassation appeal, making the sentence final and opening the procedural path for a pardon.

The Berlin visit consolidates Algeria’s positioning as a reliable energy supplier to Europe at a time when Germany is actively diversifying its sources. Chancellor Merz noted that Algeria was the EU’s second-largest gas supplier in 2025 and that Berlin intended to “open a new page” in economic relations. The joint declaration highlights German interest in Algerian gas, hydrogen, and critical minerals, and records that nearly $900 million in investment proposals from German firms are currently before Algeria’s single-window investment agency. A bilateral economic forum is scheduled for 17 July, and the two governments agreed to reactivate the joint economic commission and create a binational business council. The investigation into the orphanage fire is ongoing, with forensic experts conducting DNA tests to identify the completely burned remains.