Algeria has decided to suspend the treaty of friendship, good neighborhood and cooperation, signed with Spain over 20 years ago, in response to the change in position of the Iberian peninsula on the question of the Sahara.
Algeria has concomitantly ordered the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Establishments in Algeria to stop payments to and from Spain. A decision that compromises all forms of trade between the two countries except for the gas supply.
As a replica to this decision, the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism encouraged Spanish companies operating in Algeria and affected by the Algerian government’s decision to stop exchanges with Spain to “change countries”.
According to the newspaper El Independiente, senior officials of the Spanish ministry led by Reyes Maroto told Spanish businessmen, affected by the decision of Algeria, that the government “could neither know the consequences” of his change of position on the Sahara, on relations with Algeria.
According to the newspaper, the losses accumulated by Spanish companies that do business in Algeria have exceeded 600 million euros and continue to worsen.
Could the tension between these two countries benefit Tunisia in the sense that Spanish companies established in Algeria are thinking of relocating their activities to us?
The question may seem premature, but nothing prevents our managers and the Tunisian-Spanish Chamber of Commercial and Industry to look at the issue.
As a reminder, in 2019, 64 Spanish or Spanish participation companies were located in Tunisia. They generate nearly 6000 jobs. Spanish investment mainly targets renewable energies, ICT, agriculture, food and tourism.
