Albares rules out problems with the gas supply and announces a "serene but firm" response to Algeria

• Crisis Algeria orders its bank to freeze foreign trade with Spain from this Thursday

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reported this Thursday that the Government is analyzing the consequences of Algeria's decision to freeze foreign trade with

and will give a "serene, constructive, but firm" response in favor of the Spanish interests.

Albares has advanced that response in statements to journalists after Algeria decided to suspend the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation with Spain and that Algerian banks have frozen direct debits related to foreign trade operations of products and services from and towards Spain.

The head of Spanish diplomacy already regretted on Wednesday the Algerian decision to suspend the treaty between the two countries and said he did not fear retaliation in energy matters because Algeria is a reliable partner.

After these statements, it became known that the

(ABEF) of Algeria ordered the freezing of direct debits.

Albares has referred to that decision to explain that the Government is analyzing its implications both in Spain and in the European Union (a job that it believes will be completed this Thursday) to give "the appropriate response," reports Efe.

"A serene, constructive response, but also firm in defending the interests of Spain and Spanish companies," he stressed.

The minister reiterated the Government's desire to have the best relations with Algeria and its adherence to the entire content of the bilateral Friendship Treaty, which he recalled includes the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in internal affairs.

Asked if the freezing of trade could affect the supply of gas from Algeria to Spain, he insisted that what it means in practice is being studied, but he stressed that this gas flow "does not present any inconvenience at this time".

"What the gas companies tell us is that there is no difficulty regarding this measure so that this continues to be the case", he added.

Albares has recalled the words of the president of Algeria,

, in which on April 24 he guaranteed the supply of gas to Spain.

The minister did not want to reveal if there have been diplomatic contacts between Spain and Algeria after knowing the decision of this country and has appealed to discretion.

International arbitration

More forceful has been the third vice president and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, who warned this Thursday that if the diplomatic tensions with Algeria end up affecting the gas supply from that country, Spain will go to court and international arbitration mechanisms, informs Servimedia.

"I am confident that this will continue to function as it is," Ribera said in an interview on Onda Cero, where he explained that the gas supply from that country is included in commercial contracts between the Algerian company

and Spanish companies.

He assured that "we have great respect for the Algerian government", adding that "we don't like" that it has decided to break the treaty of good friendship.

For this reason, he has indicated that "we are open to recovering this relationship as soon as possible, but we also want to have a good relationship with Morocco".

In fact, he has defended that the bad relationship between Morocco and Algeria "is their problem that should not affect the good relationship between Spain and each of them".

For his part, the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, has said that the friendship treaty has not been broken, but has been suspended, just as other decisions made by the Algerian country have not been final.

"You have to differentiate between breaking the treaty, denouncing it as it is technically said and suspending it. Just like other decisions they made at the time, let's say they are not final decisions," he transferred in an interview on Antena 3, reports Europa Press.

Bolaños has assured that they will continue working with all the diplomatic means at their disposal to restore the friendship treaty "as soon as possible."

"We want to have a normalized, loyal relationship and that is where we are", he added, while pointing out that the geostrategic situation of Spain with respect to Morocco and Algeria is different from that of other countries of the

.

In relation to gas supply, the minister stressed that Algeria has always been a reliable partner, as the Algerian authorities have stated, saying that "(gas) is not at risk in any case".

He has also pointed out that they have no "indication" that the gas supply is going to be questioned and, immediately afterwards, he has assured that they have their hand outstretched to rebuild the relationship.

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