Spanish FM’s Algiers visit scrapped with hours to spare
Spain’s foreign minister’s planned Algiers visit was cancelled last minute on February 12th, according to Yabiladi and agencies.
With no official announcement from Algiers as of yet, Spanish sources claim that FM José Manuel Albares was notified, just hours before his intended departure, of his Algerian counterpart’s “full agenda.”
A Spanish delegation was purportedly already in Algiers, finalizing preparations ahead of the FM’s arrival.
Spain’s administration announced on February 8th that Albares would visit Algeria on invitation by the country’s foreign minister, Ahmed Attaf, but failed to provide details as to the duration of the visit.
Algerian official sources had suggested that the Spanish official was to be received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to discuss illegal immigration, trade, as-well-as political and security issues in the Sahel and Western Sahara.
The ongoing Israel assault on Gaza was also on the agenda, with both countries supporting an immediate ceasefire.
Relations between Madrid and Algiers have been unstable in recent years following a letter sent by Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, declaring his country’s support for the Western Sahara Autonomy Plan.
Western Sahara is a disputed territory by Morocco and Algeria, which are locked in a cold war over the territory.
Algiers sponsors Western Saharan separatists, Polisario Front, in their fight against Moroccan control of the resource-rich territory.
READ: Polisario Front claims responsibility for Western Sahara blast
The Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara is a Morocco-backed proposal for a partially autonomous government to be established in the territory, under Moroccan sovereignty.
Algeria considered Spain’s position to be a “departure from neutrality” and suspended its Treaty of Friendship and trade with Madrid.
The trade suspension resulted in significant losses for Spanish firms, and considerable scarcities of materials in the Algerian market.
Attaf recently told the press that Sanchez’ UN General Assembly speech, in which he failed to confirm his country’s support for the Autonomy Plan, had brought an end to the dispute.
READ: Algeria’s relations with Spain get back on track
The Algerian President had also suggested at a September 2023 cabinet meeting, that Spain had begun to align with the European stance on Western Sahara, supporting UN efforts for a political path to a just and lasting solution, favourable to all parties.
Yabiladi / Agencies
