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Shephard understands that a second LPD is one potential part of the deal which would see Fincantieri and Algeria’s Établissement de Construction et de Reparation Navale (ECRN) work together on a joint shipbuilding programme.
In January, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Algeria to boost cooperation between the two countries. On the agenda were energy deals and naval platform development.
The second LPD is just one aspect of the cooperation framework, which could include several other ships, a source with knowledge of the discussions told Shephard.
