Algerian Industry and Mining Minister, Abdessalem Bouchouareb, announced that Algeria and Iran will launch a partnership project to assist the North African country in the field of energy efficiency, notably in the conversion of vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), Nam News Network reported.

According to Iran’s Oil Minister, Bijan Zanganeh, the Islamic Republic will transfer its experience from its national energy efficiency program by creating a partnership with Algeria, which has succeeded in converting 1.7m vehicles to run on CNG. The energy efficiency program plans to create micro-enterprises specializing in the conversion of vehicles in every province.

Zanganeh stated during the meeting with his Algerian counterpart that “Tehran and Algiers have always adopted similar stances in crises and hard times and have supported each other,” SHANA announced.

The giant oil producers in the world, Algeria and Iran, are moving ahead with reforms in the energy, oil and gas sector amid the fall of oil prices in an internationally competitive atmosphere. The North African country has also taken steps towards solar energy exploitation in efforts to optimize natural resources usage.