Algeria, Chile agree to increase cooperation in renewables + mining: Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab met with a Chilean delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gloria Gonzalez to review potential partnerships in renewable energy and mining projects, according to a statement. Cooperation in mining could include “research, utilization, transformation and production” of mining resources, the statement notes. The two parties agreed to form working teams to identify investments in those sectors.

Mining is central to Chile’s economy: Chile is one of the leading countries in mineral exploration — including in critical minerals needed for battery making such as lithium and copper — and the production and processing of phosphate fertilizers, the statement said. In 2021, Chile’s mining sector contributed USD 317 bn — or 15% — to Chile's GDP, with mining exports exceeding 62% of the country's total exports, according to data collected by the International Trade Organization.