Algeria suspends friendship treaty with Spain over its “unjustified” turn on Western Sahara

Euskaraz irakurri: Aljeriak adiskidantza ituna bertan behera utzi du, Espainiak Mendebaldeko Sahararekiko jarrera aldatu duelako

The President of Algeria, Abdelmayid Tebunehas announced the “immediate” suspension of the friendship treaty signed with Spain nearly two decades ago in retaliation for its “unjustified” support for the Moroccan autonomy plan across Western Sahara.

The Algerian authorities are criticizing the Spaniards for the campaign undertaken to try to advocate a political turn which, they have argued, presupposes a “violation of the legal, moral and political obligations” of what is still the “administrative power”. . of Western Sahara.

In this sense, Algiers distorts the support of Pedro Sánchez’s management to “illegal and illegal formula” how is the autonomy proposed from Rabatwhich posits a colonial policy of “fait accomplis” through “misleading arguments”said the statement collected by the official APS news agency.

The Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation, signed in 2002, “has until now governed the development of relations between the two countries”, as the Algerian Presidency recalled, taking this a step further in the criticism it took in march to phone call to consult the ambassador in Madrid

In the more than two months that have passed, the Spanish government has sought to emphasize that: Algeria is a “solid and reliable partner” and by highlighting that it has always honored its international energy contracts, thus wondering whether the diplomatic crisis could have an impact on gas supplies to Spain.

The Spanish government regrets the decision of Algeria, “a neighbor and friend”

In a June 1 parliamentary response, the Spanish government stated that “with the current situation and with the slot and capacity reserves already created by marketers, there are no objective indications of a gas shortage situation in the coming months”.

The Spanish government has regretted Algeria’s decision. Diplomatic sources have assured that the executive reaffirms “its full commitment to the contents of the treaty” and that it considers Algeria “a neighboring and friendly country”.

For this reason, it has reiterated “its full availability to continue to maintain and develop the special cooperative relations between the two countries, for the benefit of both peoples”.

The representative in Spain of the Polisario FrontAbdulah Arubi, has justified Algeria’s decision, as he believes that, almost three months after the “radical turn” in Western Sahara, there are still no “statements” on the part of Sánchez.

For the Polisario deputy, this shift is “contrary to international law and precludes self-determination” of the former Spanish colony, at a time especially complicated by “very public and infamous” tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which currently have no relations to have.

In this sense, he regretted that Sánchez failed to take Algeria into account and suggested that announcements such as Wednesday’s show that relations with Spain are not so “solid”, despite what the Spanish authorities are trying to say in his public statements. to show” .

For his part, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchezon Wednesday urged the rest of the parties to “shift positions” on the Sahara, as the Spanish government has already done, while making it clear that the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla is not in question and Morocco is clearly has made .

Before the plenary session of the Congress of Deputies, Sánchez once again defended that the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara is “the most solid, credible and realistic basis” for solving the conflict and that is how more and more countries see it, including France, the United States and Germany cited.