Morocco Gains Ground in Europe, Algeria Seeks Allies in the East

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf traveled to Minsk, where he was received by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko before meeting his counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov. Officially, Algiers and Minsk want to deepen their political and economic cooperation and implement the roadmap adopted after Lukashenko’s visit to Algeria in December 2025.

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This cooperation covers several sectors, including industry, agriculture, higher education, and justice, as well as the military and technical fields. But behind this bilateral relationship, several observers interviewed by Hespress see above all an Algerian attempt to find new diplomatic channels as European positions shift in favor of Rabat.

Madrid and Paris have changed the situation

Spain and then France have strengthened their support in recent years for the Moroccan autonomy initiative. For N., coordinator of the Alliance of Sahrawi NGOs, these developments have considerably reduced Algiers’ room for maneuver in Western capitals. The United States is also among the powers cited as major supporters of the Moroccan position.

In this context, Algeria is reportedly seeking greater support from countries outside the Western bloc. Russia and China already occupy an important place in this strategy. Belarus, which is closely linked to Moscow, would now complete this arrangement. The aim would be, in particular, to coordinate positions more closely in international forums where the Sahara issue is debated.

Minsk could also offer Algiers more extensive military and technical cooperation. In return, Algeria could serve as a gateway for Belarus to certain African markets. According to the analysis developed by Mina Lagzal, Algiers also hopes to take advantage of the proximity between Minsk and Moscow to retain means of influence over international discussions concerning the Sahara.

However, this strategy has its limitations. Belarus remains under heavy Western sanctions, and its own influence on the Security Council or within the African Union is limited. Trade between Algiers and Minsk also remains modest. Another important nuance: the rapprochement between the two countries had begun as early as December 2025, before several of Morocco’s diplomatic advances recorded in 2026.

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Algeria thus finds itself facing a delicate balance. It wants to consolidate its relations with the Eastern bloc while maintaining essential economic ties with Europe, particularly in the energy sector. Meanwhile, Rabat continues to make international support for the autonomy plan one of the main pillars of its diplomacy on the Sahara.