President Tebboune: “Spain’s position vis-à-vis Western Sahara, individual, biased stance from Sanchez Government”

By: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- “We consider Spain’s position vis-à-vis Western Sahara as an individual and biased stance from the Sanchez Government”, President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, told Al Jazeera.

Speaking to the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera in an interview broadcast on Tuesday night, President Tebboune stressed that Spain “has aligned itself in the Western Sahara file with secret attitudes that do not relieve it of its responsibilities”.

He said, in the same context, that “trade between Algeria and Spain continues… it is carried out by the private sector in both countries”.

Earlier and during his periodic interview with national media representatives, President Tebboune declared that “there is no progress regarding the Algerian-Spanish relations after the suspension of the treaty of friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation with Spain”.

He also expressed his regret at this situation due to the “misstep” and “unfriendly act” of the Spanish leaders.

President Tebboune, however, described Algeria’s relations with the Spanish people as “very good”, in addition to “our total respect for the King of Spain”.

In March 2022, the Spanish government led by Pedro Sanchez reversed 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.