Head of EU Diplomacy Josep Borrell called on Algiera on Monday to end a trade row with Spain in a two day visit that sough to ease troubled relations sparked by Algeria after the Spanish government supported Morocco’s position on the Sahara.
“We must start by finding a solution to the current limits, and I am thinking, for example, of the obstacles since June 2022 to trade with Spain. we have to find a solution,” said Borrell in a statement to the press after a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune.
With 56% of exports and imports up to 43% with the Maghreb countries, Borrell called the North African nation an “essential partner.”
Trade between Spain and Algeria has been blocked since last June, when Algeria suspended a Treaty of Friendship with Spain, in protest against the Spanish position in support of the autonomy plan in the Moroccan Sahara.
Despite Spain’s heavy dependence on Algerian gas, Madrid has radically changed its position regarding the Western Sahara conflict and supported Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described Spain’s stance on Western Sahara as “morally and historically unacceptable.”
During the visit, Borrell said the EU and Algeria agreed to “relaunch high-level security dialogue”, before the end of the year, praising the country for its active role in fighting terroirism.
His visit proceeds a visit by President Tebboune to Russia in May.
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