Algeria and Russia Discuss the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline Project

On 27 October 2026, on the sidelines of the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit (#RAS2026), Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf had a working session with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to reinforce cooperation and discuss the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (#TSGP) Project. The TSGP has an estimated cost of USD 13 billion and is in competition with the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline (#AAGP) Project led by Morocco.

The TSGP links up two of Africa’s energy giants, namely Nigeria and Algeria, via Niger. Niger has very close ties with Russia and Algeria wishes to secure the blessing of Moscow for the project. As a matter of fact, Putin has described Algeria as ‘one of Moscow’s closest friends and allies’.

However, Algeria also has military troops deployed in Niger. Algeria’s Parliament approved this first-ever historical deployment to protect the Sonatrach oil fields and to clear the way for the TSGP.

Algiers and Moscow also happen to have ‘deeply entrenched and multi-faceted’ ties going back to the Soviet era. In 2023, Algeria and Russia elevated the bilateral relations via the ‘Declaration on Enhanced Strategic Partnership’. Historically, Russia is one of the top arms suppliers to Algeria, which has procured Russian fighter jets, attack submarines and air defense systems.

As major fossil fuel producers, Algeria and Russia coordinate closely within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). Ironically, the urgency of these African gas pipelines has arisen after the Ukraine-Russia conflict. With overlapping interests, the TSGP could be a natural extension of the already strong ties between the two sides, as Moscow carefully weighs the pros and cons.