Spain: Algeria’s ties with Russia behind row with Madrid

By CIARÁN GILES
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s economy minister has linked Algeria´s decision to suspend a decades-old friendship treaty with Spain with what she said is the North African country’s increasing alignment with Russia. Nadia Calviño told Catalunya Radio on Monday that in recent international meetings, she noticed that Algeria was more and more aligned with Russia, and as such the decision didn’t surprise her. The suspension last Wednesday was seen as a retaliation for Spain backing Morocco in the long-standing dispute over the contested territory of Western Sahara. Spain’s chief worry has been that the suspension might affect important gas supplies from Algeria.