Algeria recalls ambassador to Spain for talks.
Algiers: Algeria’s ambassador to Spain has been summoned back for talks over Madrid’s recent comments on Western Sahara, the foreign affairs ministry announced on Saturday.
“The shocking words of the top officials in Spain on the question of Western Sahara astonished the Algerian authorities,” it claimed.
On Saturday, a government source told the media that Spain’s government has informed Algeria about its position “about Western Sahara.”
“Algeria is a strategic, priority, and reliable partner for Spain, with whom we wish to preserve a close connection,” the source continued.
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Algeria is a major supplier of natural gas to Spain and Italy.
On Friday, Spain and Morocco took steps to resolve a diplomatic impasse, with Madrid moving closer to Rabat’s position on the Western Sahara crisis and declaring the start of “a new period in ties.”
Spain appeared to change its stance on the Western Sahara, which Morocco claims as its territory but for which an Algeria-backed independence movement desires independence.
Morocco claimed it had received a letter from Spain stating that the autonomy proposal in 2007 was “the most serious, practical, and credible basis for selling the issue.”
According to an Algerian diplomatic source, Spain’s current stance on Western Sahara is an “unexpected” reversal from its prior neutral stance, supporting a United Nations proposal that included a self-determination referendum.
The Algerian insider continued, “This is a betrayal of the Sahrawi people.”
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.