Algeria moves closer to Spain after the total breakdown of 2022
- Security as the basis for new relations
- More cooperation on migration
- More development and more infrastructure
The Algerian position with regard to Spain has done a complete u-turn.
After the political distancing exercised by Algeria following Spain's recognition of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the most serious, credible and realistic way to resolve the Western Sahara dispute, relations are now entering a new phase with the meetings, first of the foreign ministers Ahmed Attaf of Algeria and José Manuel Albares of Spain at the G-20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, and then with the visit of the Algerian Minister of the Interior and Local Government, Ibrahim Merad, to Madrid, who met with his Spanish counterpart, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Acardi España García, Secretary of State for Territorial Policy of Spain.
Merad went to Madrid with a large delegation including important figures such as the Director General of National Security, Ali Badaoui, and the Director General of Civil Protection, Boualem Bouglaf. Marlaska was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Susana Crisóstomo, and the Director General of International Relations and Foreigners, Elena Garzón.
After the total breakdown of 2022 in which Algeria unilaterally suspended relations with Madrid, ceasing all international exchange agreements and good-neighbourly pacts and withdrawing the Algerian ambassador in Madrid, both delegations have agreed to intensify the exchange of ‘strategic, prospective and operational information’ to facilitate the work of anticipating illicit activities related to drug trafficking and organised crime by the security forces of both States.
Grande-Marlaska described Algeria as Spain's ‘key partner’ in police and immigration cooperation. ‘The excellent collaboration is evidence of the degree of trust and mutual respect that underpins our bilateral cooperation, which is especially satisfactory in the fight against terrorism,’ he said.
‘We share many common interests and challenges, with significant challenges that require, now more than ever, joint responses that offer effective solutions,’ he added. During the meeting, Marlaska did not miss the opportunity to thank the Algerian authorities for their efforts in collaborating in the case of the Spanish tourist kidnapped on 14 February.
Security as the basis for new relations
The importance of promoting close cooperation between the security organisations and specialised institutions of the two countries will be the basis on which both governments want to establish new cooperation and collaboration agreements in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
Some of the crimes they hope to prevent are: cross-border crime, including the illegal trafficking of arms, munitions, drugs and chemical precursors and economic crime, as well as the trafficking of human beings and human organs, especially as the criminal phenomenon grows.
As a foundation for the new relationship, the meeting addressed the renewal of the pact, which had been in force since 2009, establishing a joint security committee to serve as a bridge between Algerian intelligence and the Spanish National Intelligence Centre (CNI) to combat terrorism.
More cooperation on migration
One of the most significant challenges facing Spain as a border country of the European Union is irregular immigration. Algeria shares this struggle and has faced it head on in recent years, adopting a comprehensive approach and vision in view of the consequences derived from this phenomenon, and especially in order to guarantee good coverage of the dimensions it reaches, above all, in the summer months.
To this end, the Algerian government has made the National Army responsible for this task, enabling it to face the challenge of immigration. Together with the Army, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Algeria works closely in the field of returning irregular migrants to their countries of origin. Since both institutions were appointed to the task, this cooperation has returned more than 8,000 immigrants.
Algeria remains firm in its decision to tackle the phenomenon of irregular immigration in a sustainable manner. For the North African country, this work is particularly important for the development of the country and the reduction of the human consequences, given that in the last decade more than 28,000 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean, according to data from the Missing Migrants Project of the IOM.
More development and more infrastructure
Taking advantage of the meeting, both delegations discussed efforts aimed at developing key infrastructures. The governments of both countries hope to activate bilateral cooperation in this field with the opening of courses to develop skills and improve technical capacities, and to control modern technology for traffic management and integration into the sector's governance system.
With regard to the economic sphere, the Algerian authorities asked about several of the models used in Spain in terms of the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agriculture, industry and tourism sectors, one of the sectors of greatest concern to Algerians.
In the field of energy, they also requested information on the approach followed by Spanish companies, especially in sustainable energy projects and mega-projects for the production of green energy.