Algeria has announced it will suspend all foreign trade transactions with Spain. The European Union has urged the two governments to channel the situation through dialogue.
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, J.ose Manuel Albareswill travel to Brussels this Friday to meet the Vice-President of the Commission responsible for European Union (EU) trade policy, Valdis Dombrovskis
This meeting will take place following Algeria’s decision to: fire foreign trade operations with Spain in response to the Spanish government’s “unjustified” turn regarding Western Sahara, after supporting the autonomy plan for the Sahara
Albares has indicated that he is “analysing precisely the implications of this measure, its practical scope, both at national and European level”, referring to the Agreement between the EU and Algeria
Once this analysis is completed, the minister has made progress, the government can “give the right answer”. A response, he said, which “will be calm and constructive, but also steadfast in defending the interests of Spain and Spanish companies”.
Depending on the outcome, one of the options for the government would be to declare Algeria to the EU for non-compliance with the Association Agreement that entered into force in 2005
The European Commission, for its part, has asked Algeria to step down, as the decision is “extremely worrying” For her part, EU Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali has assured that European diplomacy is already evaluating the impact of this decision on relations with the bloc.
The EU is Algeria’s main trading partner and represents the 46.7% of the total of Algerian transactions, according to data from Brussels for 2019.
In this sense, Brussels has asked to channel the situation through the bilateral dialogue between Spain and Algeria For the time being, however, there is no information as to whether there have been any contacts between the government and Algeria in recent hours. Asked about the matter this morning, Albares has exercised discretion not to reveal any details. “What I’m looking for is to be constructive so that the relationship with Algeria is as good as possible”, but also that “our interests are fully defended”, he noted.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
