Spain has requested the assistance of a third party to end the tension in its relations with Algeria, since Madrid changed its official position on the issue of Western Sahara.
newspaper quoted “ConfidentialCommunication has been absent so far between the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Alparis, and Algerian officials, since the disclosure of the letter of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, in which he informed him of the Moroccan “autonomy proposal” for the Sahara.
To break the current stalemate, Alparis has asked for the help of Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, according to the newspaper, citing unofficial sources in the European External Action Service (SEAC).
The newspaper’s report indicated that at the request of Alparis, Borrell met on March 26 in the Qatari capital, Doha, the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra.
The newspaper’s sources say that “Spain can always count on the assistance of the European Union if it needs it.” However, Algeria considers that its problem is with Spain and not with the European Union, but despite this, Lamamra agreed to meet with Borrell to resolve the dispute with the Spanish government, according to sources. Algerian diplomat.
The newspaper quoted that the Algerian minister’s response was that his country will fulfill its obligations regarding gas supplies, but, as stipulated in the current energy contracts, it will raise its price to bring it closer to the market price.
The report indicates that Algeria has not raised gas prices so far, but in return it has adopted other measures against Spain, including the Algerian Ministry of Transport’s refusal last March to allow the “Iberia” company to increase the number of flights between Madrid and Algeria. Algeria has no longer issued laissez-passers to facilitate the return of illegal immigrants, as the last operation to return illegal Algerian immigrants who arrived in Spain in boats was on April 2, according to the newspaper.
Madrid, which has always been neutral on the issue of Western Sahara, announced on March 18, through its Prime Minister, its support for the Moroccan autonomy plan, considering it “the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the conflict,” which ended a year-long diplomatic crisis with Morocco, but the move angered Algeria. That withdrew its ambassador for consultation.
And last week, Algeria announced that the return of its ambassador to Madrid is subject to the Spanish government providing “prior explanations” about the reasons why it changed its position on the Western Sahara issue in favor of the Moroccan position.
The Western Sahara, a vast desert area rich in phosphates and fisheries, is disputed by Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
Rabat, which controls nearly 80 percent of this region, proposes granting it autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario calls for a referendum for self-determination stipulated in a cease-fire agreement concluded in 1991, but it remained a dead letter.