Algeria gains diplomatic luster following era of disempowerment
By: Hana Saada
ALGIERS– For decades, Algeria had been absent from the regional diplomatic scene. Although conflicts in neighboring countries posed a serious security threat, Algiers lacked modern and proactive policies to address them.
As the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, took office in 2020, he reasserted Algeria’s role in addressing regional crises. Subsequently, New Algeria, whose foundations were laid thanks to his far-sighted vision, amidst international changing circumstances, has reinforced its regional and international position, playing a pivotal and pioneering role through its solidarity with the liberation movements in the world.
New Algeria is playing a leading and axial geopolitical role in the region based on its long-standing principles. President Tebboune gave a new impetus to a disempowered diplomatic apparatus and in a very short time, he managed to place Algeria on the world chessboard.
Inspired by its anti-colonial struggle, Algiers is standing up as a voice of oppressed people, a defender of states’ sovereignty… It exerted huge efforts to rescind the observer status granted to the Zionist Entity in the African Union (AU). This month, plans of the Zionists to sneak, once again, into the African Union have been, spectacularly, backfired by Algeria, one of Palestine’s strongest supporters in Africa and the whole world.
In addition, world leaders hailed Algeria’s efforts and the means it has mobilized to ensure the success of the Arab Summit held in Algiers. Besides, President Tebboune succeeded in unifying the Palestinian factions thanks to the signing of the Algiers’ Declaration.
Noting that in his first speech since being sworn into office, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed Algiers’ stances on various policies, stressing on Algeria’s fundamental principles, namely: the defense of national independence, the respect for the territorial integrity, the recovery of national identity, the refusal of any form of internal interference and the foreign military presence on its soil, the rejection of alliance policy and military pacts, the active participation in the struggle against underdevelopment and poverty, the principle of reciprocity, the non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of crises.
Regarding Western Sahara, Tebboune highlighted Algiers’ principled stance towards this cause, renewing the country’s unwavering and unconditional support for the legitimate right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination through a free and fair referendum, and to stand by their side to reach a permanent solution to their just cause in accordance with international law and legitimacy, and in line with the United Nations doctrine of decolonization.
Broaching the situation in Libya, Algeria is still attached to the stability of this country, refusing to be kept out of the settlement process.
Algeria, under the leadership of President Tebboune, will continue to play a leading role in the resolution of the crisis in Libya. The main principles of the Algerian initiative are known. The solution can only be political and peaceful and can only emanate from the Libyans themselves with international support and notably neighboring countries.
Algeria has, as part of its tireless efforts aimed at reaching a solution to the Libyan crisis, relaunched several mechanisms. It hosted the foreign ministers meeting of Libya’s neighboring countries (Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Chad, Sudan, and Niger) to establish coordination and promote dialogue between these countries.
With respect to Arab causes, President Tebboune stressed, on multiple occasions, that the Palestinian cause is a constant of the foreign policy of the Algerian state. Algeria will remain a support for Palestine and its people who are fighting against a brute colonial force until the achievement of their independent state.
Besides, Algeria voiced rejection of the Middle East peace plan sponsored by US President Donald Trump, which gives the Zionist Entity the right to have Jerusalem El Quds as its capital.
As for Spain, the Spanish government led by Pedro Sanchez reversed, in March 2022, its position regarding Western Sahara by expressing its support for Morocco’s plan for this occupied territory. Following this reversal, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Madrid, then suspended, last June, the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness with Spain signed in 2002. Algeria had also frozen the bank domiciliations of foreign trade operations of products and services, from and to Spain.
Finally, how not to indicate Algeria’s decision to join the BRICS group, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as the bloc accounts for about a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product.
