Algeria's foreign minister visits Spain to discuss important issues such as migration and the fight against terrorism

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, held a political summit with the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sabri Boukadoum.

This visit, the first of Minister Boukadoum to Spain since he took office, is another example of the high-level bilateral contacts maintained between the Spanish and North African nations, as was also evident in the visit of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, to Algeria on 7 and 8 October 2020.

During his stay in Spanish territory, Minister Boukadoum was received by King Felipe VI, by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, by the President of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, and by the Fourth Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera. He also spoke at a public meeting organised by Casa Árabe.

These meetings have made it possible to review the state of bilateral relations and to identify potential new areas for their development with a view to the next High-Level Meeting to be held in Spain when health circumstances permit in the face of the coronavirus health crisis. Spain is the European country that has held the most High-Level Meetings with Algeria, demonstrating the closeness that exists between the two countries.

The importance that Spain attaches to the Maghreb region due to its proximity and issues of common interest does not go unnoticed. 

Arancha González Laya and Sabri Boukadoum stressed the essential nature of Euro-Mediterranean relations and addressed the relaunch of the European Neighbourhood Policy, the activity of the Union for the Mediterranean and the 5+5 Dialogue, which Spain is chairing this year. They also discussed regional issues of shared interest, such as the situation in Libya and the Sahel, the phenomenon of migration, and the fight against terrorism.

The 5+5 Dialogue is of great importance; it brings together Spain, France, Italy, Malta and Portugal on the northern shore, and Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the oldest framework for meetings between countries on both sides of the Mediterranean basin, which was established to initiate a process of regional cooperation in the western Mediterranean, addressing important issues such as defence and security. 

In statements made to the newspaper El País, the Algerian Foreign Minister referred to the relevant issues dealt with during his official visit. Boukadoum pointed out that terrorism has struck for a long time, and that they have the experience to deal with it. "We are convinced that it is not specific to any one country or religion, but that it is a transnational phenomenon. That is why international cooperation is the only way forward. The Sahel is vital for everyone. The Spanish are increasingly present," Boukadoum told the Spanish newspaper on such an important issue.

"There is a continuous fight, whatever the denomination. Islamic State, Boko Haram... it's all the same. There is a continuous regeneration of the phenomenon. It is necessary to work with military means, but also to understand what is going on. It would help if development issues were addressed more seriously. When there are no resources, the easy money of terrorism and kidnappings takes over; you have to keep that in mind. You can have the French Barkhane force, with 5,100 troops, or the UN's MINUSMA, with over 15,000, but none of that is enough. It doesn't address the root of terrorism," Boukadoum noted.

On the issue of migration, Boukadoum noted that "Algeria too is under considerable pressure". "In Europe it is neither perceived nor understood. In Spain, Italy, France or Greece they complain about mass migration, but we are the ones who receive it before it reaches Europe. Algeria has become a country of origin and destination. Europeans complain, but do we have to act as Europe's policemen? You want protection, but who protects us? One day we are going to say: "Let them leave", as some do. But no, we work with Spain, France, Germany, Portugal? In the last year, with COVID, the numbers have relaxed, but last year at one point we had more than 1,000 arrivals a day," Boukadoum told El País.