Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra had a telephone conversation on Monday, June 13 with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, the Quai d’Orsay announced in a press release.
This is the first meeting between the two ministers since the appointment of Catherine Colonna as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs on May 20, replacing Jean-Yves Le Drian.
For this first interview, Ramtane Lamamra and Catherine Colonna spoke about Algerian-French relations, the crisis between Algeria and Spain and regional crises.
They affirmed their “willingness to continue the positive dynamic in the bilateral relationship between France and Algeria, in all its dimensions, with a view to the next bilateral deadlines”, according to the same source.
In addition to bilateral relations, the heads of Algerian and French diplomacy discussed the crisis between Algeria and Spain. According to the Quai d’Orsay, they discussed the “latest developments in Algerian-Spanish relations.”
The French minister stressed her “deep attachment to the good relations between our European partners and our neighbors on the southern shore of the Mediterranean and her confidence that dialogue will make it possible to overcome common challenges”, according to the press release.
Regional crises
On Wednesday, Algeria announced the suspension of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation signed with Spain 20 years ago, in retaliation for the Spanish government’s decision to support the Moroccan autonomy plan. for occupied Western Sahara. With a turnaround, Madrid has put an end to its historical neutrality in this conflict which poisons relations between Algeria and Morocco.
On the same day of the announcement of the suspension of this Treaty, many media reported a note from the Algerian Association of Banks (Abef), asking banks to freeze foreign trade with Spain, which provoked the reaction of the European Union.
Twice, Brussels officials expressed their support for Madrid in its conflict with Algiers and warned Algeria against freezing commercial transactions with Spain. Algeria deplored the bias of the European Union with Spain and assured that it only suspended the Treaty of Friendship.
Ramtane Lamamra and Catherine Colonna also addressed “regional crises, particularly in Mali and Libya, for which cooperation between our two countries is central.”
According to a press release from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ramtane Lamamra underlined that Algeria attaches “the greatest importance to ensuring that relations between partners in the Mediterranean area comply with international legality and are protected from any exacerbation through irresponsible headlong rushes.”
