Sánchez to Visit Algeria as Madrid and Algiers Advance Diplomatic Reset

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected in Algiers on Monday for his first visit since 2020, as Spain and Algeria seek to consolidate the gradual normalization of bilateral ties following a diplomatic rift over Western Sahara, with energy cooperation set to dominate the agenda.

BY Dr. Hana Saada

ALGIERS — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to pay an official visit to Algeria on Monday, July 20, in what would mark his first trip to the country since October 2020, as Madrid and Algiers continue efforts to rebuild relations after more than four years of diplomatic tensions.

According to information released by the Spanish government and reported by Algerian media, Sánchez is scheduled to hold talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune before attending a bilateral business forum bringing together leading companies from both countries.

The visit is widely viewed as another milestone in the gradual normalization of relations that deteriorated sharply in March 2022, when Spain endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute—a move that prompted a strong diplomatic response from Algiers.

Sánchez is expected to arrive in Algeria accompanied by a high-level economic delegation, including Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition and senior executives from the country’s four largest energy companies—Naturgy, Repsol, Enagás and Moeve—underscoring the strategic importance of energy cooperation in the bilateral relationship.

Natural gas supplies are expected to dominate discussions.

Spain is seeking to secure additional Algerian gas volumes as part of its broader strategy to strengthen energy security. According to the report, Madrid aims to obtain an additional 1.8 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas annually through the Medgaz subsea pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

Algeria currently exports gas to Spain primarily through the Medgaz pipeline, whose capacity has recently increased to approximately 32 million cubic metres per day. Algerian gas now accounts for more than 42% of Spain’s gas imports, reinforcing Algeria’s position as Spain’s leading natural gas supplier.

Negotiations are also expected to cover additional LNG deliveries by tanker, estimated at between 500 million and one billion cubic metres annually. If agreed, the combined increase would raise Spanish imports of Algerian gas by around 10%, according to the report.

The visit comes as Algeria has re-established itself as Spain’s principal gas supplier, reaffirming the country’s strategic role in Europe’s energy security. For Algeria, meanwhile, the Spanish market remains one of its most important European export destinations, second only to Italy.

Beyond energy, the visit is expected to signal both governments’ commitment to deepening economic cooperation and consolidating the gradual restoration of bilateral ties following one of the most significant diplomatic crises between the two Mediterranean partners in recent years.