Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is set to pay an official visit to Algeria on July 20, marking his first trip to the country in several years, in a move aimed at revitalizing bilateral ties and strengthening strategic cooperation, particularly in the field of natural gas supplies, according to Spanish daily ABC.
The newspaper said the visit carries both political and economic significance, as Madrid seeks to reinforce its longstanding energy partnership with Algeria, which remains one of Spain’s main natural gas suppliers. Sánchez is also expected to be accompanied by representatives of Spain’s leading energy companies.
The visit is expected to focus primarily on economic cooperation and energy issues, while the Sahara dispute is not anticipated to feature on the agenda, following Spain’s firm commitment to Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as “the most serious, realistic and credible basis” for resolving the conflict.
Relations between Madrid and Algiers plunged into a diplomatic crisis in March 2022, after Sánchez sent a letter to King Mohammed VI endorsing Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for the Sahara, describing it as the most serious, realistic and credible solution to the dispute.
Algeria responded by recalling its ambassador from Madrid before later suspending its Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Spain. It also imposed restrictions on trade with Spanish companies, reflecting the depth of the tensions triggered by Spain’s policy shift.
Despite the political and economic pressure exerted by Algeria in the years that followed, Sánchez’s government maintained its new position, reiterating it on numerous occasions through official statements and during high-level meetings with Moroccan officials.
Madrid has repeatedly reaffirmed that Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan constitutes the most serious and credible framework for resolving the regional dispute over the Sahara, a position that has become one of the pillars of the renewed strategic partnership between Morocco and Spain.
At the same time, Algeria’s efforts to persuade Spain to reverse its decision—through diplomatic pressure and economic measures—have failed, with Sánchez consistently standing by the position he first announced in his letter to the Moroccan monarch.
The upcoming visit to Algiers therefore comes in a markedly different context from the diplomatic crisis that defined bilateral relations in recent years, as both sides appear increasingly focused on rebuilding cooperation in areas of shared strategic interest, particularly energy security and economic collaboration.
According to the Spanish press, natural gas will be the central issue on the agenda, given Algeria’s importance as one of Spain’s principal gas suppliers and the growing emphasis on securing stable energy supplies amid evolving international energy dynamics.
The two governments are also expected to discuss ways of expanding economic and investment cooperation in a manner that serves their mutual interests and injects fresh momentum into bilateral relations, without reopening discussions on Spain’s position regarding the Sahara.
While Algeria seeks to restore momentum to its relationship with Madrid, the Spanish government appears equally determined to preserve its strategic partnership with Morocco, which has witnessed unprecedented development since the 2022 rapprochement between Rabat and Madrid.
The planned visit suggests that Spain now views its relationship with Algeria primarily through the prism of economic and strategic interests, while its position on the Sahara has become firmly established. Sánchez and his government have repeatedly reaffirmed their support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, despite sustained Algerian efforts to alter Madrid’s stance.
