For months, Algeria and Spain have been going through an unprecedented diplomatic crisis, caused by a reversal of Madrid’s position vis-à-vis the Western Sahara conflict.
Since the start of the crisis, Spain has continued to play its cards to ease tensions between Algiers and Madrid. After launching appeals for appeasement, the country of Andalusia is now seeking European mediation.
Unsurprisingly, with the start of the year 2023, Madrid is launching a new appeal for appeasement towards Algiers. Through his spokesperson, the Spanish Foreign Minister.
When Albares highlights the friendship between Algerians and Spaniards
In an interview granted yesterday Monday to the Europa Press agency, the head of Spanish diplomacy José Manuel Albares takes stock of the current situation of relations between Algiers and Madrid. The Minister of Foreign Affairs even goes on to recall the “maintenance” of “the outstretched Spanish hand for Algeria”.
“With Algeria, we want a relationship based on mutual respect, reciprocal interests, and non-interference in internal affairs, as is the case with our other neighbors,” said the Spanish minister.
According to Albares, the Spanish government is still coordinating with the European Commission in Brussels in an effort to resolve this diplomatic crisis.
Algeria, a reliable partner
During the same interview, the Spanish Foreign Minister does not hesitate to praise Algeria for respecting its gas contracts with Spain, calling it a “reliable partner”.
“Algeria is a reliable GAS supplier which always respects its international contracts”, launches once again the head of Spanish diplomacy.
It should be noted that despite the diplomatic crisis that the two countries are going through, Algeria continues to supply Spain with GAS, as stipulated in the contracts. Moreover, the national company Sonatrach had even reworked certain partnerships with the Spanish parties.
On the other hand, since the beginning of these diplomatic tensions, several companies have attacked their government, holding it responsible for the decline in trade with Algeria.
As a reminder, Algeria had recently ruled out any new energy partnership with Spain. According to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algiers is currently working with Rome for an energy hub in
“It is the European Union that has the instruments, both for dialogue and for the response. There are contacts between the European and Algerian authorities”, he underlines.
“Whenever we detect a blocked operation, we continue to send it to the European Commission, because trade policy is a common trade policy,” he adds.
