Algeria's interior minister begins 1st official visit to Spain since 2022 diplomatic crisis
Reuters
Madrid/Algiers, February 24, 2025 – Algerian Interior Minister Ibrahim Murad embarked on an official visit to Spain on Monday, marking the first such visit by an Algerian government official since a 2022 diplomatic fallout between the two nations.
According to a statement from Algeria’s Interior Ministry, Minister Murad is scheduled to hold talks with Spanish officials to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation. The visit follows a prolonged period of strained relations triggered in 2022, when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to Moroccan King Mohamed VI supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. That action led Algeria to suspend various forms of cooperation with Spain, resulting in a near cessation of Algerian imports from the country, even as exports of natural gas, oil, and petroleum products continued.
The current visit is part of a broader process of rapprochement between Algeria and Spain. Last week, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf met with his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa—the first such meeting since the crisis erupted in 2022.
The improvement in Algerian-Spanish relations comes at a time when Algeria’s ties with France remain strained. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently warned of an “irreparable rupture” in relations with France, which, along with other actions, has further complicated regional dynamics. French President Emmanuel Macron has also drawn criticism from Algeria for expressing support for Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy proposal.
The Western Sahara issue has long been a contentious point between Algeria and Morocco. Originating in 1975 after Spain withdrew from the region, the conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front led to decades of instability, culminating in a ceasefire agreement in 1991. While Morocco advocates for extensive autonomy under its sovereignty, the Polisario Front calls for a referendum on self-determination - a stance strongly supported by Algeria, which hosts refugees from the territory.
As Minister Murad meets with Spanish counterparts, observers see the visit as a significant step toward mending ties and restoring cooperation between Algeria and Spain after years of diplomatic tension.
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