The Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares voiced hopes on Saturday that relations with Algeria “will be exactly the same” as those that Spain maintains with all neighboring countries.
The Minister’s statement is the first Spanish response after Algeria announced last Thursday that commercial relations between the two countries are normalized.
On June 8, the North African nation had announced a rupture of economic relations with Madrid, following the latter’s rapprochement with Morocco, and its recognition of Morocco’s plan for autonomy in Western Sahara.
The Spanish news agency, EFE, quoted Albares as saying that Spain wants to have relations with Algeria exactly the same as they were before.
He was referring to Algiers’ decision last June to suspend its 20-year-old treaty of friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation with Spain over the latter’s backing to Morocco’s position over disputed territory in the Western Sahara.
He also said that relations with Algeria should be “based on friendship, mutual benefit, respect, equal sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.”
Albares then spoke about the easing of trade relations with Algeria during his meeting with Minister for Regional Policy of the Spanish Government, Isabel Rodriguez, as part of Spain’s preparations to preside over the European Union in the second half of 2023.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that he was informed on Thursday of the circular from the Algerian banking association by which “commercial relations are normalized.”
In a surprising circular, the Algerian Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (Abef) announced late on Thursday that banking operations with Spain had been unfrozen.
It issued a note informing banks that the “precautionary measures mentioned are no longer necessary.”
The decision comes following consultation with foreign trade agents, Abef said.
Government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Algerian foreign trade agents informed the Association that the trade halt with Spain has caused great material damage to the Algerian companies dealing in the field of imports, especially small and medium enterprises.
