President Tebboune orders to stop pumping gas to Spain via Morocco

President Tebboune orders to stop pumping gas to Spain via Morocco

ALGIERS- President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ordered, Sunday, November 1st, 2021, the cessation of commercial relations between Algeria’s Sonatrach and the Moroccan Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE).

According to a press release from the Presidency of the Republic, President Tebboune received a report from the Sonatrach group, Africa’s biggest natural gas exporter, on a trade agreement binding the state-owned energy firm, since July 2011, to the Moroccan Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE).

“President Tebboune “ordered the cessation of trade ties between Sonatrach and the Moroccan National Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE), and the non-renewal of the contract, which expires at midnight Sunday,” the statement from the presidency read.

The statement added: “President Tebboune received a report on the contract linking the national company (Sonatrach) to the Moroccan Diwan of Electricity and potable water, since 2011 and ending on October 31, 2021, at midnight.”

Due to the hostile attitude of Morocco, the President of the Republic, after consulting the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Aïmene Benabderrahmane, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramtane Lamamra, and the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, decided to cease the commercial relationship and not to renew the contract.

“In view of the aggressive practices of the Kingdom of Morocco towards Algeria, which affect national unity (..) the President of the Republic ordered (Sonatrach) to stop the commercial relationship with the Moroccan company, and not to renew the contract,” concluded the communiqué.

Noting that the contract was due to expire at midnight Sunday.

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