Algeria urges Spain to reconsider support for Morocco's autonomy plan
The president of the lower house of the Algerian Parliament, Ibrahim Boughali, called on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to reconsider his support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. The request was made on Wednesday, March 26, during Boughali's meeting with Spain's ambassador to Algeria, Fernando Moran, according to Algerian media.
Boughali criticized what he described as the «unexpected shift» in Spain's position since March 2022. In a statement, the Algerian lower house reported that the Spanish diplomat reaffirmed his country's support for «a solution acceptable to both parties, in accordance with UN charters and resolutions» on the Sahara issue. Boughali also expressed Algeria's interest in establishing an «interparliamentary friendship group» to strengthen ties between the two legislative institutions.
Despite Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's recent remarks praising the «normalization» of relations between Algeria and Spain, Madrid has yet to respond to Algeria's 2022 request to reconsider its stance on Morocco's autonomy plan.
Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reaffirmed Spain's commitment to its roadmap with Morocco. Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, two days after Tebboune's statement, Albares emphasized Spain's strong relations with Rabat and reiterated support for the joint declaration of April 7, 2022.
The declaration's first point states that «Spain recognizes the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco as well as Morocco's serious and credible efforts within the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution. In this regard, Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative, presented in 2007, as the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving this dispute».
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