Since its independence from France in 1962, Algeria has pursued an activist foreign policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Algeria was marked by its support for Third World policies and independence movements. Indeed, it is an active member of the Arab League, the African Union and the United Nations, and has prosperous diplomatic relations with more than a hundred countries, most of which maintain diplomatic representation in Algiers. This has taken shape with the arrival of an increasing number of tourists on Algerian soil, enchanted by its rich history, tradition and culture.
In terms of domestic politics in Algeria, it was taking place in the context of major changes in international politics. These were perceived more immediately than in the past, as the country reappeared on the international scene after a decade of preoccupation and isolation due to internal crises. Many researchers argue that those events and changes in Algeria’s immediate regional environment exposed the country to new threats and challenges. The popular uprisings that have shaken the Arab world since 2011 led to the fall of established leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and the subsequent collapse of state structures in Libya and Mali, the two states with which Algeria shares its largest borders. As a result, Algeria has been confronted with international terrorism, without any noticeable impact on the exchange of tourist potential. These developments have forced Algeria to refocus its existing foreign policy priorities from relations with Europe and the United States to its immediate surroundings. This has therefore led Algeria to adopt a more proactive foreign policy, seeking to stabilise neighbouring states by mediating their internal conflicts and participating in regional and international initiatives. By 2019, in this way and aided by its relative internal stability, Algeria began to be seen as a respected and newly influential regional power.
Its presence has begun to be noticed, though, amid the search for alternative energy sources in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, because Algeria’s position as an underdeveloped oil and gas producer on Europe’s doorstep has triggered a frenzy of international interest. The country’s leaders, of course, would attribute this new popularity not to circumstances but to clever strategic positioning. In addition to its huge size and its prominent position at the center of North Africa, Algeria has long cultivated a variety of relationships with the West, Russia, China and other mid-sized and developing states.
Therefore, with the rapidly growing energy crisis engulfing Europe, the Algerian state-owned producer Sonatrach was quick to expand production, renegotiate prices and sign new export agreements, resulting in record production levels and a significant economic benefit. Leaders subsequently strengthened social security programs and commodity subsidies, cancelled planned tax increases and subsidy cuts, and began replenishing Algeria’s scarce reserve funds. As a result, this African country was loudly advertised in Europe, cultivating a fertile ground for cooperation and mutual gains as well as the interest of European tourists to discover the country. Algeria developed relations with the old continent, ensuring as far as possible stability in its economy, which was fragile until the pre-pandemic era.
Apart from the political level, sport has played a leading role in international affairs as a gesture of goodwill. More than three thousand athletes from various countries are taking part in the Mediterranean Games, which began on 25 June in Oran in western Algeria. Participants from neighbouring Morocco and Spain arrived in Oran to a warm welcome, even though the two countries have had difficult diplomatic relations with Algeria. In the summer of 2021, during a series of internal crises, including severe fires that killed dozens of people, Algeria fired an attack on its neighbour Morocco, accusing it of collaborating with Israel to undermine the state’s security. Algeria severed diplomatic ties and closed its airspace to Moroccan flights. Tensions have since risen, with the two neighbours moving closer to armed conflict over violence in the disputed Western Sahara region.
Controlling it until 1975, Spain maintained a neutral stance on these claims until recent years, when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unexpectedly supported the Moroccan perspective, stirring up a storm of opposition in Algiers. Even Spain’s expulsion of a pair of high-profile Algerian dissidents from Spain failed to assuage the anger of Algerian leaders and, after weeks of fruitless negotiations, Algeria suspended its two-decade-old primary cooperation treaty with Spain, which imported more than 40% of its gas needs from Algeria in 2022. Later, Algerian banks received official instructions to freeze trade with Spain, effectively imposing a trade embargo – although Algerian officials clarified that gas flows would not be affected. Spain immediately appealed to European Union (EU) authorities, who condemned the move and promised to defend any EU member threatened by unfair trade practices or violations of trade agreements.
Nevertheless, the Minister of Mujahideen and Rights, Laid Rebiga assured, in 2023 in Algiers, that the Algerian diplomacy “enjoys, today, the respect of the international community thanks to its experience, reputation and image”, but also for “its commitments that are constantly respected”. And yet, there are many who argue that Algeria’s image abroad is not in line with the real one. A change in the exercise of power would be among the areas for reform as until recently Algeria’s elite have shaped the political plan. The adoption of a new constitution that would provide for addressing serious problems in the health and education sectors would be legitimate. As the official website of the United States of America documents, economic operators on Algerian soil face a number of challenges, including complicated customs procedures and cumbersome bureaucracy. International businesses operating in Algeria complain that laws and regulations are constantly changing, increasing commercial risk.
Despite the internal issues, in June 2023, the UN General Assembly elected Algeria to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member with a two-year term of office. This will be Algeria’s fourth term on the Council, where it will hold one of the three African seats and will be the only country representing the Arab region. However, since its last term 20 years ago, it is safe to note that the world has changed significantly, creating opportunities for Algeria to assert its presence as a more important global and regional factor.
In conclusion, Algeria is appreciated and admired, hence the preference of tourists around the world to explore it. More than a few countries desire to think of it as an ally since Europe has anointed it under its protection. A prime example constitutes the inauguration ceremony of the Embassy of Tanzania in Algiers in August 2023. This event, which was commemorated by politicians and diplomats, reflects Algeria’s firm positive image in the economic world to promote multilateral partnerships and usher in an era of strong economic diplomacy.
Eugenia Nifora
References
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