Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez concluded a working visit to Algiers on Monday, formally resetting bilateral ties that had been frozen since 2022. The trip produced concrete commitments: the two governments will hold a high-level summit in October, and Algeria secured Spanish cooperation on recovering embezzled assets, with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune publicly thanking Madrid for “satisfactory results” on the file. Sánchez, accompanied by executives from major Spanish energy firms, confirmed that Algeria became Spain’s top natural gas supplier in early 2026, a fact that underpins the economic logic of the détente.

From Madrid’s perspective, the visit advanced three priorities outlined by Sánchez: deepening political dialogue, building a mutually beneficial economic partnership, and strengthening cooperation on the international stage, particularly as bridges between Europe and Africa. Spanish officials stressed the importance of Algeria as a “strategic and reliable partner” in energy and of expanding investment in renewables and infrastructure. The Spanish government did not signal any shift on Western Sahara, where it continues to view the Moroccan autonomy proposal as the most serious and credible basis for a settlement—the very position that triggered Algeria’s suspension of a friendship treaty and banking restrictions three years ago.

Algerian officials, for their part, described the talks as “frank” and highlighted a “new momentum” in relations. Tebboune expressed hope that Spain would play a “positive role” in rebalancing Algeria’s economic ties with the European Union and in convening the long-stalled EU-Algeria Partnership Council. On the Sahara, Algerian diplomatic sources maintain that Madrid’s stance has evolved into a more balanced position aligned with UN resolutions, though European analysts note that no public revision of the 2022 endorsement has occurred. The same pattern is visible in Algeria’s parallel thaw with Paris, where France’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory has not prevented the return of ambassadors and discussions on visa quotas.

Viewed from European capitals, the sequence reflects a broader Algerian recalibration of foreign policy since 2019, prioritising energy security and investment ties with major EU economies—Germany, Italy, and now Spain—while the Sahara dossier is managed separately. The rapprochement leaves France, which has seen its commercial position in Algeria erode in favour of competitors, as the outlier in a region where Algerian gas has gained strategic weight following the disruption of Russian supplies. The October high-level meeting is expected to produce agreements on industrial cooperation, migration, and judicial assistance, institutionalising a relationship that both sides now describe as a “strategic partnership” despite the unresolved territorial dispute.