Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in Algiers on Monday for the fourth Algerian-Italian bilateral summit, where several agreements are expected to be signed, including an energy deal to boost gas supplies.

This is the second visit to Algeria by Draghi in four months, as he made a trip to the north African country in April.

Draghi was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, with whom he will spearhead the talks.

The energy deal will see Italy receive significant volumes of natural gas, according to the reports of local media.

Italy buys the majority of its natural gas from abroad, with some 45 percent of its imports coming from Russia. The European country has increasingly looked to Algeria, its second biggest supplier, to reduce the dependence on Russian gas, as Russia's military operation in Ukraine sparked sanctions against Moscow and sent energy prices soaring.