Spain Relies on Washington to Convince Morocco and Algeria to Reopen Gas Pipeline

High-level political sources confirm that this scenario, considered "highly probable" in the event of diplomatic success, would allow Europe to secure its supply and definitively turn the page on Russian gas.

This Spanish bet on the reopening of the pipeline, closed since 2021, is based on a new favorable geopolitical configuration. The adoption by the UN Security Council of the Moroccan autonomy proposal as a basis for negotiation has changed the situation: the Sahara issue is now driven by a Western dynamic supported by the White House, without major opposition from Moscow or Beijing. This internationalization of the conflict relieves Madrid, which sees the weight of this dispute lightening in its bilateral relations with Algeria.

While the newspaper Ok Diario reports that Algeria is currently refusing the resumption of flows via Morocco, the Spanish executive perceives a change in the climate. The priority is to normalize relations with Algiers to regain lost market share. This thawing process has already been set in motion, materialized by the meeting between the heads of diplomacy, Ahmed Attaf and Manuel Albares, in Johannesburg on November 22 last. A visit by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Spain is even being considered, although no date has been set.

The ultimate goal remains the reconnection of the regional gas infrastructure. The rupture of diplomatic relations and the non-renewal of the agreement in 2021 had put the gas pipeline on hold, but the European strategic necessity and the current diplomatic maneuvers could force the reopening of the valves in the short term.