Spain PM Sanchez visits Algeria for first time in four years as ties thaw
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday visited Algeria for the first time in four years in a bid to mend diplomatic ties between the two countries after they were frayed by a row over Western Sahara. In 2022, Madrid abandoned its neutrality stance over the disputed territory and backed Morocco’s sovereignty claim, angering Algiers. The thaw began last year, when Algeria reactivated a friendship treaty it had suspended over the dispute.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Algiers on Monday that he sought to deepen ties with Algeria, as the countries mend relations after a dispute over Western Sahara.
Read moreAlgeria suspends Spain co-operation treaty over Western Sahara dispute
Sanchez told reporters that the visit, a first in four years, held “particular importance” for Spain, which views Algeria as “not only a neighbouring country but also a strategic partner”.
The premier, who was accompanied by senior Spanish energy executives, said Algeria was Spain’s largest supplier of natural gas this year.
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