Pedro Sánchez announces from Algiers the VIII High-Level Meeting for October, with both countries seeking to strengthen political dialogue, migration cooperation, and energy relations.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced this Saturday from Algiers that Spain and Algeria will hold the VIII High-Level Meeting (RAN) next October, a meeting aimed at relaunching the bilateral relationship after years of tensions. The announcement was made during a joint appearance with the Algerian Prime Minister, Sifi Ghrieb, as part of the official visit of the Spanish Executive leader.
Political Dialogue and Strengthened Cooperation
“It is essential to strengthen political dialogue between Spain and Algeria. Dialogue is the foundation upon which everything else is built,” Sánchez stated. The summit, which will be preceded by political consultations between both governments, will address key areas such as management of migratory flows, the fight against terrorism, cultural cooperation, and bilateral exchanges.
The Spanish president emphasized that Spain sees Algeria “not only as a neighbouring country but as a strategic partner and above all as a friendly country.” The visit, according to Sánchez, demonstrates the willingness to deepen that friendship and expand a “future-oriented” collaboration.
Algeria, Main Gas Supplier to Spain by 2026
On the economic front, Sánchez highlighted Algeria's role as the main supplier of natural gas to Spain in 2026, as well as the reliability of its supply in a context of high international uncertainty. The president pointed out that the economic relationship transcends the energy sector and advocated for expanding cooperation in areas such as industry, infrastructure, food, services, technological innovation, and digitalisation.
The Spanish government committed to consolidating itself as a strategic partner in the process of modernising the Algerian energy and industrial sector. Sánchez highlighted the presence during the visit of representatives from Spanish companies with a strong presence in the country, to whom he conveyed the Executive's support. “I am convinced that in this new push we are giving to relations between Spain and Algeria, our private sector, our companies, will play a fundamental role, which the Government wants to accompany and encourage,” he affirmed.
Bridge Between Europe and Africa
On the international front, both leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening cooperation between two countries destined to act as a bridge between Europe and Africa. Sánchez assured that “only by working together can we successfully face the challenges that concern our societies the most, such as the cost of living, security, and the climate emergency.”
The President of the Government highlighted Algeria's strategic role for the stability of the Sahel and Spain's willingness to strengthen relations between the European Union and its Mediterranean partners, in line with the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028, aimed at tightening ties with the continent.
Spanish Companies, Protagonists of the New Stage
As part of the visit, the third vice president and minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, met with representatives of Spanish companies operating in Algeria. Aagesen emphasized that Spanish companies must be protagonists in seizing the opportunities of this new stage and highlighted their international experience and technical capacity to invest, create jobs, develop value chains, and generate shared value.
For Spanish companies with interests in Algeria, the October summit opens the door to new contracts in energy, infrastructure, and technology. The improvement of bilateral relations could also facilitate project financing through COFIDES and other public instruments. Companies in the energy, construction, and engineering sectors are best positioned to take advantage of this momentum.
The VIII RAN will be held in Algiers, although the exact date has not yet been set. It will be the first summit of this level since 2022, when relations cooled due to Spain's shift in the Western Sahara conflict. The October meeting will serve to gauge whether the restoration of dialogue translates into concrete agreements.
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