During his first visit to Algiers as head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell tried to restart Brussels’ mediation in the crisis launched by the Spanish government after the change of position in the Western Sahara dispute, with millions of losses for Spanish companies based in Arab countries. country after nine months of total blockade.

“This situation is detrimental to the association agreement and is not in the interests of either side,” Borrell said in statements to the Algerian newspaper El Khabar on the occasion of a two-day visit during which he met with the Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebbun and other high representatives of the country. Borrell called Algeria a “strategic partner” for the EU, an “important player” and a “viable” energy supplier.

According to the socialist, the association between Algeria and the European Union, signed in 2005, faced precisely the “serious obstacles” imposed by Algeria on trade with Spain, with a closure that has resulted in losses of more than 700 million euros since June. between Spanish companies doing business in the country. In a joint statement last June, Borrell and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis assured that Brussels was “ready to oppose any coercive action against a member state”, condemning the “violation” of the association agreement between Algeria and the EU.

Borrell, who already tried to mediate last year at Spain’s request, stressed his desire for a solution to be reached soon and acknowledged that EU countries are calling the obstacles “unfortunate”. “We must overcome these obstacles,” he said.

“We all know we can do better. We must start by looking for a solution to existing constraints. I mean, for example, the obstacles introduced since June 2022 for trade with Spain that need to be removed. I am also thinking about the restrictions on European investment in Algeria, which have a direct impact on the application of our Association Agreement. It is in our common interest to find a solution to all this,” he said.

Portugal and Italy among the beneficiaries

However, the situation is being used by Italy, Portugal or France to fill the void left by Spanish firms and expand their commercial presence. Algeria is also asking for a review of the association agreement, a request that Borrell said is being responded to.

In an international context marked by the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russian gas and oil, Brussels has spent months looking for alternative energy sources that could quickly reduce some of its member countries’ dependence on Russian gas.

According to Borrell, “About 90% of Algerian gas is exported to Europe, and we know we can count on Algeria, which is a reliable partner and has been through difficult times.” The intention is to “look to the future, prioritizing European investment in the renewable energy sector”. “First of all, energy is probably an area where we have partnerships that are working well,” he added.

UN support in the Sahara

On the anniversary of the Copernican turn in the Sahara, Spain failed to renew relations with Algeria without even condemning before the EU the suspension of commercial transactions to and from Spain, which Moncloa considers a violation of the association agreement. Algeria is not expected to quickly resolve the crisis, outraged by the movements of Madrid to attract Brussels.

Regarding the conflict in Western Sahara, which is taking place against the backdrop of the rupture of relations between Spain and Algeria, Borrell insisted that the position of the 27 member countries remain unchanged in their support for the UN process with the prospect of reaching a fair and realistic political solution acceptable to both parties. in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. Despite Spain’s rapprochement with Morocco, the Nordic countries continue to act as a counterweight.