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The Spanish government stated that it will not supply Rabat with gas sent by Algeria after Algiers hinted that they would interrupt the contract if Madrid diverted its supply “to a third destination.” The relationship between Algeria and Spain broke down after the Spanish government came out of its neutrality and backed Morocco’s sovereign claim to Western Sahara.
Spain’s ties with Algeria, a strategic partner for being an important gas supplier, have been strained in recent weeks after the Iberians gave the right to Morocco’s claim for Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony and over which it had maintained a historical neutrality.
Although this change in Madrid’s position calmed the disagreements with Rabat, it generated resentments with Algiers. In this scenario, the African gas giant threatened to break its supply contract between the state company Sonatrach and Spain if it was diverted “to a third destination” outside the agreement, in a sneaky reference to Morocco.
Due to a diplomatic rupture, last November the Algerian authorities suspended the transfer of the GME gas pipeline to Spain through Morocco, leaving only the Medgaz passage.
However, in February, the Europeans promised to help Rabat “guarantee its energy security”, which set off alarm bells in Algeria.
In this context, after Madrid said that it was going to “authorize the reverse flow” to supply Morocco, from Algiers they warned that any routing of “natural gas delivered to an unforeseen destination” would be taken as a “breach of contractual commitments “, as notified by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab.
However, the president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, asserted that his country will honor the agreement and stated that “it will never renounce its commitment to ensure the supply of gas to Spain.”
Morocco’s plan to supply itself is to buy liquefied natural gas in the different international markets, regasify it on Spanish soil and take it to its territory through the gas pipeline.
“In no case will the gas acquired by Morocco come from Algeria,” clarified the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition. In addition, from that portfolio they added that “this mechanism was discussed with Algiers in recent months.”
Spain has reduced its dependence on Algerian supplies from 40% to only 25%, but the problems with supplies from Russia, which they seek to replace, give added value to the North African product.
The conflicts between Algeria and Morocco are longstanding and are linked to the Western Sahara region, where Rabat disputes the legitimacy of the territory with the Saharawi separatists of the Polisario Front, backed by Algiers.
In recent months, in addition to strong support from Spain, described by the Algerian president as “morally and historically unacceptable,” the Moroccan government normalized its international relations with Israel, in exchange for the United States recognizing its sovereignty in the disputed area.
with AFP
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