ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Italy and Algeria agreed to

work together to fight terrorism and control migration during an

intergovernmental meeting in Rome on Wednesday, while companies

signed off on deals in sectors including energy and

telecommunications.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met Algerian President

Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the 17th-century Villa Doria Pamphili,

after a trip to Algiers by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in

March.

"Our bilateral relations have reached a level of intensity

and solidity that had never been achieved before," Meloni told a

news conference after the meeting.

Algeria is Rome's leading trading partner in Africa,

with trade worth almost 14 billion euros ($16.4 billion) while

Italian investments there amount to 8.5 billion euros, Meloni's

government said.

"I express my confidence in what we have achieved at

this summit. The agreements signed open broad horizons for a

model strategic partnership that reflects the depth of our

relations," Algerian President Tebboune said.

A total of 13 agreements have been signed between the

governments of Italy and Algeria, including one on fighting

terrorism and its financing. It was not specified which threats

the countries were focused on.

The two nations have also agreed on a plan to coordinate the

search and rescue operations for migrants who attempt the

dangerous sea crossing from North Africa to Europe. Meloni's

right-wing government was elected in 2022 on a mandate to curb

migrant arrivals.

BUSINESS TIES

On the business side, Italian energy group Eni

this month signed a production sharing contract with oil and gas

company Sonatrach worth $1.3 billion to explore and develop

hydrocarbons in Algeria.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the two companies signed an

additional agreement to strengthen their cooperation.

"We are very satisfied with the collaboration between Eni

and its counterpart Sonatrach, which will become even stronger,"

Meloni told reporters.

Eni buys gas from Sonatrach under a long-term contract that

has made the north African country one of the key fuel suppliers

for Italy after Rome severed ties with Russia's Gazprom

following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

A separate deal will involve Submarine cable company

Sparkle, a unit of Telecom Italia (TIM), which is set

to be sold to a consortium led by Italy's Treasury later this

year.

Sparkle will sign a preliminary agreement with Algerie

Telecom for a new subsea cable connecting the two countries.

"Algeria is a strategic partner, and we are working hard to

make this partnership ever broader, stronger and more

diversified," Foreign Minister Tajani said during a speech at a

business forum with over 400 companies from the two nations.

($1 = 0.8521 euros)