SPAIN TRIES TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE MAGHREB

After years of tension and divergences with Morocco and Algeria, the Spanish government is trying to improve its relations with the second country, collaborating on terrorism and the fight against illegal immigration.

In 2022, relations with Algeria were on the verge of breaking down, when the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, joined the countries that support the autonomy plan for Western Sahara drawn up by Morocco, putting an end to the Alaouite Kingdom, in its traditional policy of neutrality

Algeria maintained the supply of natural gas to Spain, under the condition that not a single litre was reshipped to Morocco. Madrid accepted this condition and is rigorously applying it.

The only thing Spain does is process the LNG (natural liquefied gas) that Morocco acquires in several countries, but which needs to be regasified. Spain does this and Algeria certifies that there is no violation of the agreement between Madrid and Algeria.

After some time, Algeria returns to its status as a strategic partner of Spain. The two most important chapters of the current cooperation are the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration.

The resumption of good relations began when the Foreign Ministers Ahmed Attaf, of Algeria, and José Manuel Albares, of Spain, met at the G-20 Summit in Johannesburg. Then came the visit of the Algerian Minister of the Interior and Local Government, Ibrahim Merad, to Madrid, where he met with his Spanish counterpart, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

In any case, while Spain supports the Moroccan plan for autonomy for Western Sahara, Algeria is firmly opposed to it and points out that the United Nations continues to support the referendum project that could lead to independence for the small territory, very rich in minerals and coastal fishing.

Grande-Marlaska has described Algeria as a “key partner” of Spain in matters of political cooperation on police and migration. Theoretically, the same process is taking place with Morocco, with the difference that Rabat continues without cutting off the migratory flow that affects the Canary Islands, as a gateway to the European Union.

The Madrid-Algiers-Rabat triangle represents one of the most important frameworks for Spanish foreign policy. Algeria and Morocco, unfortunately, have already passed the point of friction.