Algeria’s Giplait signs agreement with Belarusian Belakt to prepare infant formula joint venture

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ALGIERS — Algeria’s state-owned dairy group Giplait has signed a protocol agreement with Belarusian company Belakt to pave the way for a potential joint venture to produce infant formula in Algeria, as the two countries seek to deepen industrial cooperation.

The agreement, signed in Algiers on Tuesday, provides for the exchange of information between the two companies as negotiations continue on the proposed infant-milk production project and preparations for the business plan of the future mixed-ownership company.

Giplait’s chief executive, Samah Lahouhou, signed the agreement with Belakt Director General Liubik Vitali, according to a statement from the Algerian public group.

Representatives of Giplait and Belakt, as well as an official representing Belarus’s Ministry of Agriculture, attended the signing ceremony.

The agreement marks a further step in discussions between the two companies and points towards a more structured form of industrial cooperation, with local production of infant formula at the centre of the proposed partnership.

For Algeria, developing domestic production of infant formula could support efforts to strengthen local food-processing capacity and reduce reliance on imported finished products. The project could also create opportunities for technology and know-how transfer if the proposed joint venture moves from negotiations to production.

The Belarusian delegation also visited Giplait facilities to assess the quality and range of products manufactured by the Algerian group, according to the statement.

The proposed partnership comes as Algeria seeks to expand industrial cooperation with international partners while strengthening domestic production across strategic sectors. For Belarusian companies, partnerships of this nature can provide access to North African markets while establishing a production base within Algeria.

The immediate priority, however, remains the preparation of the joint venture’s business plan and the exchange of technical and commercial information between the two sides.

No investment value, production capacity or launch date for the proposed infant-formula facility was disclosed in the statement.

The next phase will therefore depend on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations and whether the two companies can translate the protocol into a definitive joint-venture agreement.