ALGIERS, Algeria/ISTANBUL 

The interior ministers of Algeria and Spain discussed Monday ways of strengthening counterterrorism efforts, cybersecurity, combating irregular migration.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska arrived in Algiers on Sunday for the first visit by a Spanish government official to the North African country since the outbreak of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries in 2022, after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez supported Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara. The move led to the suspension of cooperation between the two countries.

Algerian Minister of Interior Said Sayoud called his meeting with his Spanish counterpart “an opportunity to exchange views and perspectives on various threats that require joint efforts.”

He added that the discussions “fall within the framework of a strategy aimed at enhancing counterterrorism and cybersecurity cooperation, and finding sustainable solutions to the challenges of irregular migration confronting both countries.”

The Algerian minister noted that his country faces risks stemming from the influx of irregular migrants, saying Algerian authorities prevented around 100,000 illegal migrants from moving toward Africa and Europe during 2024.

Sayoud also praised the outcomes of the Joint Security Cooperation Committee held earlier in Madrid, which resulted in agreements on sharing technical solutions to detect forged documents and exchanging expertise to establish specialized intelligence centers for combating transnational organized crime.

Grande-Marlaska, for his part, expressed appreciation for the ongoing cooperation between the two countries, stressing that Algeria is a key partner for Spain in all security matters.

“We face common challenges and have no option but to work together to be more effective in combating human trafficking networks,” he said.