ALGIERS, Algeria: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Algiers on Monday that he sought to deepen ties with Algeria, as the countries mend relations after a dispute over Western Sahara.
Sanchez told reporters that the visit, a first in four years, held “particular importance” for Spain, which views Algeria as “not only a neighboring country but also a strategic partner.”
The premier, who was accompanied by senior Spanish energy executives, said Algeria was Spain’s largest supplier of natural gas this year.
Ties between Algiers and Madrid deteriorated in 2022 when Spain backed Morocco’s sovereignty claim over Western Sahara, reversing its decades-long neutral stance on the conflict over its former colony.
Spain’s shift had angered Algeria, which backs the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara.
