18/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU/Algeria agreement to be concluded no later than September. Brussels and Algiers are to conclude a strategic agreement on energy no later than September, a senior European Commission official stated on Thursday 17 February, on a visit to the Algerian capital. “We have today received reassuring information from the Algerian authorities (…). We are waiting to hear Algeria's stance over the next few weeks, and we are optimistic that this agreement can be signed in June or July, and certainly no later than September”, said Deputy Director of DG Energy Fabrizio Barbaso on the sidelines of the conference. The EU has been negotiating an energy cooperation agreement with Algeria, its third-largest supplier of gas and thirteenth largest supplier of oil, since 2008. (E.H./transl.fl)