Algeria has formally closed out a four-year diplomatic rupture with Spain, hosting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Algiers but without securing any shift in Madrid’s position on the regional dispute over the Sahara territory, the very issue that triggered the freeze in 2022. The two sides announced the opening of what they called a new phase in bilateral relations, but without signing any concrete deals. Spanish officials announced a political agreement to boost imports of Algerian gas, without specifying volumes or a timeline. This takes place amid reports pointing to Algeria’s incapacity to increase exports, given the surge in domestic consumption and ageing fields. The normalization reflects Algeria stepping back from confrontation rather than any concession from Madrid, which continues to regard Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the most credible basis for resolving the Sahara issue, Algeria and its Polisario proxies without a diplomatic win from the reconciliation.