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Rabat – Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that he needs time to “reorient relations” with Algeria following the Algerian government’s suspension of a 20-year-long friendship treaty between Algiers and Madrid.
“Everything takes time. Of course, Spain’s hand is outstretched,” Albares said on Monday in comments to the media.
The top Spanish diplomat’s remarks come amid flaring tensions between Madrid and Algiers.
On June 8, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, announced his country’s decision to suspend a 20-year-long friendship treaty the two countries signed in 2002 to boost trade and cooperation.
The move came in response to Spain’s renewed position in favor of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara.
In recent weeks, most senior Spanish officials have repeatedly reiterated their country’s support for the Moroccan initiative, describing it as “good” for regional stability and as the best and most viable way to end the decades-old dispute over Western Sahara.
Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front’s claims over the southern Moroccan region, reacted to Spain’s decision repeatedly through actions that have been often deemed as “reckless” and “irresponsible” by observers.
Prior to its decision to suspend the friendship treaty, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Madrid and threatened to suspend its gas supply to the European country.
Read also: Washington Examiner Says Algeria is ‘Europe’s Other Problem’
Albares has been reassuring Spanish MPs and critics that Algeria’s decision will not impact the gas supply to Spain. Amid the escalating tensions, he has notably argued, Madrid is working on a “constructive and firm” response to any Algerian moves that would undermine Spanish interests.
Faced with a resolute response from both the Spanish government and the EU, the Algerian regime
has been issuing contradictory statements regarding the current state of its relations with Spain.
While appearing to vow to take retaliatory measures over Spain’s diplomatic rapprochement with Morocco, Algiers has strangely sought to placate the EU by disowning its own official statements and emphasizing the importance of Spain and Europe as strategic Algerian allies.
Just this week, however, Algeria’s Ministry of Tourism acted yet another escalatory move from Algiers after it called on Algerian travel agencies to suspend and cut all ties with Spain and cancel all flights between the two countries.
The move is a new Algerian response to the Morocco-Spain rapprochement, Spanish media have reported, noting that the decision came after news emerged of a potential Spanish-Moroccan investment forum expected to kick off today in the Moroccan city of Dakhla to attract Spanish investments to the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region in southern Morocco.
