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 Spain |  Algeria |
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Algeria and Spain are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Unlike those of Spain with Morocco, Algerian-Spanish relations are not strained by a direct territorial dispute; there have been however discrepancies over the approach to the Western Sahara conflict. [1]
Much of the territories of current-day Spain and Algeria were part of polities such as the Roman Empire or the Arab Caliphates.
In the 16th century, the Hispanic Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire vied for hegemony in North Africa, including current-day Algeria. The former captured in 1510 the rock of Algiers and held it for brief spell before being expelled by Hayreddin Barbarossa in 1529. The Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen received protection from Charles V in exchange for parias , allowing the local ruler to remain in power until the 1555 Ottoman conquest. [2]
The Spanish Monarchy exerted control of Oran (1509–1708; 1732–1792) and the neighbouring port of Mers El Kébir for much of the early modern period.
The Francoist dictatorship officially recognized Algeria as a sovereign state in 1962 and proceeded to appoint an ambassador. [3] Spain's bilateral relations with the Algerian republic, which were not good during Francoism, [4] would later experience a crisis in 1977–1978, when Algeria—cut off from the 1975 Tripartite Madrid Accords on the transfer of the administration of Western Sahara—came to provide instrumental support to the Canary Islands Independence Movement, [5] as well as to Sahrawi nationalism. [6]
The two countries signed a treaty of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation on 8 October 2002 in Madrid. [7] [8] The two states cooperate on anti-terrorism issues. [7] The triangular balance between Algeria, Morocco and Spain influences the Spanish position on the conflict of Western Sahara; Algeria is committed to the referendum on self-determination, while calling for a stronger commitment from Spain on this on the basis of the latter's "historical responsibility". [9]
Both countries reinforced ties in 2013. [10] Algeria and Spain positioned themselves as important partners in 2015, [11] remaining linked "with strong relations" as of 2017. [12]
In March 2022, following a letter made public sent by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to King Mohamed VI of Morocco in which he assured that the proposal for an autonomy regime for Western Sahara that Morocco made in 2007 is the "most serious, realistic and credible" proposal for the resolution of the conflict, and the confirmation by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares that showed his confidence that there would be no retaliation for this turn by Algeria, the Algerian government called its ambassador, Saïd Moussi, in Spain to consultations. [13] [14] [15] [16] The content of the letter and the change in the position of the Spanish government in the conflict of the Western Sahara was rejected by the rest of Spanish political parties, including Unidas Podemos, the minor member of the government coalition. [17]
In April 2022, Abdelmadjid Tebboune said "we have very strong ties with the Spanish state, but the head of government [Pedro Sanchez] broke everything," before assuring that Algeria would "never renounce its commitments to ensure the supply of gas to Spain whatever the circumstances". [18]
On 9 June 2022, as a result of the new Spanish position regarding Morocco and the Western Sahara, Algeria decided to suspend the friendship and cooperation treaty that united the two nations [19] [20] Hours later, there were news reports that Algeria was suspending foreign trade with Spain. [21] Spain, for its part, is studying denouncing Algeria to the European Union [22] Brussels was "extremely concerned" said EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali, "We would ask the Algerian party to take another look at that decision", she added. [23]
On 10 June 2022 José Manuel Albares travelled to Brussels to raise the issue and find a way to resolve the row with Algeria. [24] "The EU is ready to stand up against any type of coercive measures applied against an EU Member State," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said in a joint statement. [25] Algeria replied through the voice of its diplomatic representation in Brussels, "the Algerian Commission to the European Union deplores the haste with which the European Commission reacted without prior consultation or any verification with the Algerian government", adding that "regarding the alleged measure by the government to stop current transactions with a European partner, it only exists in the minds of those who claim it and those who are eager to stigmatize it." [26]
On 11 June 2022 the department of Ramtane Lamamra declared in a press release that the decision to suspend the Treaty of Friendship responds to "legitimate considerations, which essentially relate to the fact that the partner has released itself from obligations and essential values enshrined in this Treaty, thus taking on the responsibility of emptying this legal instrument of its substance and calling into question its relevance in the relations between the two parties to the said treaty." It also deplored and rejected "the hasty and unfounded statements" that were made on behalf of the European Union following "the sovereign decision taken by Algeria to suspend the Treaty of Friendship", describing the insinuations and questions relating to the gas supplies to Spain as "fanciful" and "malicious", given that the Algerian President himself had already affirmed the determination of Algeria to fulfil its contractual obligations. [27]
In November 2023, 19 months after recalling the ambassador, Algeria decided to return a diplomatic representative to Spain, Abdelfetah Daghmoum, who was subsequently granted approval by the Spanish Council of Ministers. [28] [29]
Morocco is a member of the United Nations and belongs to the African Union, Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD). Morocco's relationships vary greatly between African, Arab, and Western states. Morocco has had strong ties with the West in order to gain economic and political benefits. France and Spain remain the primary trade partners, as well as the primary creditors and foreign investors in Morocco. From the total foreign investments in Morocco, the European Union invests approximately 73.5%, whereas the Arab world invests only 19.3%. As of 2009, many countries from the Persian Gulf and Maghreb regions are also becoming more involved in large-scale development projects in Morocco.
Peru is an important first-tier state in South America, Peru has been a member of the United Nations since 1945, and Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar served as UN Secretary General from 1981 to 1991. Former President Alberto Fujimori's tainted re-election to a third term in June 2000 strained Peru's relations with the United States and with many Latin American and European countries, mainly small countries like Yemen but relations improved with the installation of an interim government in November 2000 and the inauguration of Alejandro Toledo in July 2001.
The foreign relations of Spain could be constructed upon the foreign relations of the Hispanic Crown. The personal union of Castile and Aragon that ensued with the joint rule of the Catholic Monarchs was followed by the annexation of the Kingdom of Granada and the Kingdom of Navarre. The crown also built a large colonial empire in the Americas after the arrival of Columbus to the New World in 1492.
Cape Juby is a cape on the coast of southern Morocco, near the border with Western Sahara, directly east of the Canary Islands.
The foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) are conducted by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of representation offices and embassies in foreign countries.
The Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Turkey maintain diplomatic relations. Spain has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate general in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate general in Barcelona.
Italy–Spain relations are the interstate relations between Italy and Spain. Both countries established diplomatic relations some time after the unification of Italy in 1860.
MoroccoandSpain maintain extensive diplomatic, commercial, and military ties. The Morocco–Spain border separates the plazas de soberanía on the Mediterranean coast from the Moroccan mainland. Morocco's foreign policy has focused on Western partners, including neighboring Spain. Relations have, however, been historically tense and conflictive.
Mauritania–Spain relations are the foreign relations between Mauritania and Spain. The two nations have had official diplomatic relations since the 1960s. Spain has an embassy in Nouakchott and a consulate-general in Nouadhibou. Mauritania has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate-general in Las Palmas.
Peru and Spain established diplomatic relations in 1879. Both nations are members of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, Organization of Ibero-American States and the United Nations.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic–Spain relations are the current and historical relations between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Spain.
The Treaty of Angra de Cintra, signed by Spain and Morocco on 1 April 1958, ended the Spanish protectorate in Morocco and helped end the Ifni War.
Peru–Sahrawi Republic relations refers to the current and historical relations between the Republic of Peru and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
Morocco–Peru relations refers to the current and historical relations between Peru and Morocco. Both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Algeria–Peru relations are the bilateral relations between Algeria and Peru. Both countries are members of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
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