Spain Seeks to Ease Tensions Between Morocco and Algeria in Western Mediterranean

"Spain wishes to maintain good relations with its most important partners and also wishes that these partners maintain the best possible relations with each other. And when we share the same region of the world like the western Mediterranean, this desire can only be even more legitimate. We want to contribute to a climate of calm, tranquility and good neighborliness. This will always be our goal in the western Mediterranean, both with Morocco and with Algeria," said José Manuel Albares in an interview with the newspaper La Vanguardia.

Algeria recently severed its diplomatic relations with Morocco due to "hostile acts" towards it and plans to end the gas pipeline crossing the kingdom as of October 31, the expiration date of the supply contract. When asked about the likely impact of this decision, José Manuel Albares indicated that the "government will always defend the interests of Spain. We are discussing and analyzing the situation with Algeria. Let’s not rush. It’s still too early to draw conclusions."

On the Sahara issue, the head of Spanish diplomacy reassures that Spain "will always work within the framework of the United Nations. The relationship between Morocco and Spain is a rich and broad network of all kinds of interests [...]. The relationship between Spain and Morocco must be seen in its entirety," Albares stressed.