ALGIERS / Abbas Mimouni / Anadolu

Algeria and Spain affirmed on Monday their desire to open a new phase in their bilateral relations, by enhancing cooperation mechanisms and continuing dialogue and consultation.

This came during a working and friendship visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Algeria, which lasted one day, his first visit to the country since the end of the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

This is Sánchez's second visit to Algeria since he assumed the presidency of the Spanish government in June 2018, after a previous visit he made in 2022.

The visit gains special importance as it comes after turning the page on a diplomatic crisis that erupted between the two countries in 2022, following Sánchez's announcement of his support for the autonomy proposal put forward by Morocco to resolve the issue of the Sahara region.

In March 2026, Algeria and Spain reactivated the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, and fully resumed their diplomatic relations, following a visit by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares to Algeria.

During a joint press conference with Sánchez, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune affirmed that the two sides agreed to continue dialogue and consultation and to support UN and multilateral efforts to prioritize peaceful solutions in addressing crises and conflicts.

He explained that "the talks covered developments in the Middle East and the increasing tension in the Gulf region, in addition to the Palestinian issue and Western Sahara, the situation in the Sahel region, and the Libyan crisis."

On the bilateral level, Tebboune said the talks covered various areas of cooperation, including energy, renewable energies, trade, investment, security, and judicial and consular cooperation.

He expressed hope for expanding cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of fighting corruption and recovering "looted funds," appreciating the Spanish authorities' response to Algeria's requests in this file.

Tebboune had announced on October 12, 2025, that his country had recovered $30 billion of looted funds, affirming that the war on corruption and combating it is what spared his country's economy from collapse.

During the press conference, the Algerian President expressed his satisfaction with the existing partnership between the two countries in the field of energy, "which reflects our commitment to the energy security of our partners in Europe."

Tebboune considered Sánchez's visit an important milestone in preparing for the 8th session of the Algeria-Spain High-Level Meeting, scheduled to be held next October.

He spoke of a "new spirit" that characterizes relations between the two countries and falls within an encouraging momentum to expand and intensify sectoral cooperation.

Regarding the relationship between Algeria and the European Union, the Algerian President expressed his hope that "Spain, by virtue of its position within the European Union, would play a positive role in pushing for more balance in economic relations between Algeria and the European Union and contribute to activating the Algeria-EU Association Council, which has not met since 2020."

Algeria seeks to revise the Association Agreement linking it to the European Union, which was signed in 2002 and entered into force in 2005, and believes that in its current form it favors the European side because it no longer aligns with its current economic and social reality.

For his part, the Spanish Prime Minister said that his country and Algeria share three main priorities in the current phase, namely strengthening political dialogue, building an economic partnership that benefits both countries, and intensifying cooperation on the international stage.

Sánchez affirmed that Madrid attaches great importance to the high-level meeting between the two governments expected in October, announcing that he has tasked his government team to immediately begin preparing for it with the Algerian side.

He added that Spain wishes to consolidate its position as a strategic partner for Algeria, praising its role as a reliable energy supplier.

Sánchez expressed his country's aspiration to expand cooperation to include areas of energy transition, technological innovation, food industries, infrastructure, and services.

He affirmed that Algeria and Spain are also called upon to enhance coordination on the international stage, given their position as bridges linking Europe to Africa, adding that the two countries "stand today on the threshold of a new phase in their bilateral relations."