(3 minutes read)
Spain’s economy minister Nadia Calviño linked Algeria’s decision to break a two-decade-old friendship treaty with Spain to the North African country’s increasing clout with Russia
Spain’s economy minister Nadia Calviño linked Algeria’s decision to break a two-decade-old friendship treaty with Spain to the North African country’s increasing clout with Russia. She said that recent International Monetary Fund meetings’ discussions, which she has chaired, gave an impression that Algeria was more aligned with Russia.
Algeria suspended the two-decade-old friendship treaty with Spain recently, a move seen as a tit-for-tat after Madrid openly supported Morocco’s attempts to keep Western Sahara under its rule, while Algeria supports the territory’s independence movement.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/algeria-suspends-treaty-with-spain-over-western-sahara-issue/
https://trendsnafrica.com/libya-algeria-to-boost-bilateral-ties/
Upon the EU warning that it was prepared to take action to defend the interests of its members, Algeria changed its stand. In a statement, Algeria said that the country had never suspended the treaty. However, Algeria continued to block trade. The Algerian foreign ministry recently called the European response “hasty and unfounded. In a strongly worded communique, it added that the issue was “a political disagreement of a bilateral nature” between Madrid and Algiers that should not concern the EU.
Spain welcomed the EU move and hoped that Algeria would change its stand. The Spanish economy minister added that the treaty suspension would be a drag on the Spanish economy. Spain’s concern has been that the suspension might affect important gas supplies from Algeria. Algeria supplies 23% of Spain’s gas needs. Algeria maintained that the suspension of a two-decade-old economic treaty would not affect the gas supply to Spain.
The EU bloc is trying to find alternatives to Russian energy imports to protest Russia’s war in Ukraine. Spain exported US$2.1 billion in goods to Algeria last year while its imports were valued at nearly US$5.6 billion.
