Algerian-Portuguese relations

The Algerian-Portuguese relations describe the intergovernmental relations between Algeria and Portugal . The countries have had direct diplomatic relations since 1975.

Bilateral relations have been extremely good and friendly since the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974. In addition to regional cooperation and a. In the 5 + 5 dialogue or the Union for the Mediterranean and the regular Algerian-Portuguese meetings (Portuguese: Cimeiras luso-argelinas ), economic relations should be mentioned above all: Algeria is one of Portugal's most important oil and gas suppliers and is renewing in return its fishing and merchant fleet with medium-sized ships also from Portuguese shipyards (especially from Viana do Castelo and Figueira da Foz ). Algeria also covers a large part of its paper and cellulose requirements from Portugal. Historically, Algeria played a role as a place of refuge and supporter of resistance to the dictatorship in Portugal and its colonies .

In 2014, 905 Portuguese citizens were registered as consular in Algeria, in 2017 326 citizens of Algeria were registered in Portugal.

The two capitals of Algiers and Lisbon have had a cooperation agreement since 1988, and further city partnerships between Algerian and Portuguese municipalities are to be initiated since the fifth Algerian-Portuguese summit in 2018.

history

From antiquity to the 19th century

Expansion of the Almoravid Empire between approx. 1050 and 1120

The present-day areas of Algeria and Portugal belonged to the Phoenicians ' trade routes , which ran here between the 10th and 4th centuries BC. BC also maintained their own bases. Later, both areas belonged to the Roman Empire as the Province of Africa and the Province of Numidia-Mauretania (Algeria) and the Province of Lusitania and the Province of Hispania ulterior (Portugal) .

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Vandals ruled over parts of what is now Portugal from around 409 AD, before they translated to Africa under Geiseric around 429 and continued to rule in what is now Algeria.

Around 697 the Arabs conquered what is now Algeria, before crossing to Europe in 711 and also taking what is now Portugal.

The Moors Islamized after the 7th century founded the Almoravid Empire at the beginning of the 11th century , which extended to the Iberian Peninsula in the 11th and 12th centuries , and thus also ruled in parts of today's Algeria and today's Portugal.

In 1250, with the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in the Kingdom of Portugal , which had become independent in 1139 , the long joint membership in the same territory ended, and contact was then limited to a few commercial contacts. From then on, Portugal oriented itself away from the Mediterranean and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the 15th century , which grew to become the first world empire in history.

Algeria became part of the Ottoman Empire until it was conquered by France in 1830 . Since then the country has been fighting for its independence.

Since the 20th century

The Portuguese writer Manuel Teixeira Gomes became President of Portugal in 1923 . After his resignation in 1925, he went to Algeria. After an initial period in Oran , he lived in Bougie (now Bejaia ) until his death in 1941 .

Manuel Teixeira Gomes in 1925, shortly before his private emigration to Algeria (painting by Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro )

Algeria's independence movement held steadily until it finally this after the bloody Algerian war officially became (1954-1962) on 5 July 1,962th From 1965 Algeria developed into a socialist people's republic.

The anti-communist and semi- fascist Estado Novo dictatorship of Portugal, which has ruled unreservedly since 1932 , accordingly kept its distance from socialist Algeria. Relations were then increasingly strained by the diverse Algerian support for the independence movements in the Portuguese colonial wars in the course of the 1960s. Portuguese opponents of the regime like Manuel Alegre also found refuge in the capital, Algiers, where they wrote oppositional writings and ran the radio station Rádio Portugal Livre .

After the left-wing Carnation Revolution in Portugal put an end to the dictatorship in 1974, Portugal and Algeria entered into direct diplomatic relations on March 7, 1975. On 29 August 1975 accredited to André do Nascimento Infante first Portuguese ambassador in Algiers. A trade agreement followed on October 16, 1976 and an agreement on economic and technical cooperation on May 15, 1981.

The Algerian civil war and the ongoing internal political tensions in Algeria prevented a further intensification of bilateral cooperation, which only increased again in the 2000s. On August 1, 2005, the two countries signed a friendship, neighborhood and cooperation agreement in Algiers.

A series of mainly economically oriented agreements followed. Following a mutual investment promotion and safeguarding agreement of September 8, 2005, Algeria and Portugal concluded a double taxation agreement on May 1, 2006, and agreements to avoid tax evasion and mutual administrative assistance. This was followed by a renewed friendship, neighborhood and cooperation agreement on March 24, 2006 and a cooperation agreement for the tourism sector on October 27, 2006.

Entrance of the Algerian embassy in Lisbon

At the meeting of Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra and his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva at the end of February 2016, both sides emphasized the good relations and declared that they wanted to improve the important economic relations significantly. 90 Portuguese companies are already present in Algeria, including some of the largest. Tourism, defense and security were among the most important areas for mutual investment. Silva also recalled Algeria's contribution to Portuguese democracy when it accepted Portuguese opposition members and supported independence movements. Lamamra emphasized the potential of the friendly Portugal as a mediator between Europe, North Africa and the Arab world and expressed his appreciation for the Portuguese EU Commission President Barroso and the former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio as Secretary General of the UN Alliance of Civilizations .

At the 5th Algerian-Portuguese summit (Portuguese: Cimeira luso-argelina ) in Lisbon in early October 2018, the Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia met his Portuguese counterpart António Costa . Both sides highlighted the traditionally excellent relationship and welcomed the establishment of a bilateral business council by the chambers of commerce in both countries. At the summit, 13 agreements were concluded in a wide variety of areas, including cooperation in vocational training, energy, tourism, health, air traffic and Lusitanistics . Costa emphasized that the moment was ideal for a further intensification of Algerian-Portuguese relations: Portugal had just come out of a deep economic crisis, and Algeria is also brushing off the economic problems it experienced with the fall in the price of oil.

diplomacy

Portugal has an embassy in the Algerian capital, Algiers, at number 3 on Boulevard du 11 Decembre 1960 . Furthermore, there are no Portuguese consulates in Algeria.

Algeria has an embassy in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, at number 58 on Rua Duarte Pacheco Pereira in the diplomatic quarter in the municipality of Santa Maria de Belém . There are no Algerian consulates in Portugal.

economy

Oil production in Algeria: Fuels and products made from petroleum determine Algeria's exports to Portugal

The Portuguese Chamber of Foreign Trade AICEP has its own branch in the Algerian capital, Algiers. In addition, in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, there is an Arab-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce with the Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Árabe Portuguesa , which also looks after Algerian-Portuguese trade relations with its own department. Since the 5th Algerian-Portuguese summit in October 2018, it has also been decided to set up an entrepreneurial council under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce of both countries.

In 2017 Portugal exported goods and services worth 295.4 million euros to Algeria ( 2016 : 463.2 million euros ; 2015 : 565.5 million; 2014 : 588.1 million; 2013 : 527.4 million .), of which 27.7% were machinery and equipment, 20.6% metal goods, 16.8% cellulose and paper, 10.8% plastics and 7.3% minerals and ores.

In the same period, Algeria delivered goods and services worth EUR 463.9 million to Portugal ( 2016 : 512.4 million; 2015 : 715.9 million; 2014 : 909.5 million; 2013 : 821.8 million .), 89.1% of which were fuels and 9.1% chemical products.

In 2017, Algeria ranked 26th as a buyer and 17th as a supplier for Portuguese foreign trade, and in 2017, Portugal ranked 9th as a buyer and 25th as a supplier in Algerian foreign trade.

Culture

The Portuguese cinema and the Algerian film cooperate comparatively rarely. The film Zeus by Portuguese director Paulo Filipe Monteiro can be regarded as the most significant collaboration . The Algerian-Portuguese co-production was filmed in Portugal and Algeria and deals with the story of the Portuguese writer Manuel Teixeira Gomes , who became President of Portugal in 1923 and then went to Algeria, where he lived in Bougie (now Bejaia ) until his death in 1941. lived. The film hit theaters in 2016 and was released on DVD in Portugal in 2018.

Filmmakers from both countries, on the other hand, meet more often at film festivals , and Algerian productions are also regularly shown at Portuguese film festivals , where they also receive awards. For example, Algerian productions won the Golden Dolphin at the most important Portuguese festival, the Festróia , in 1989 and 1990.

Sports

Islam Slimani in the jersey of Sporting Lisbon (2015)

Soccer

The Algerian and Portuguese national football teams have only met once (as of March 2019) In the friendly match on June 7, 2018 in Lisbon's Estádio da Luz , host Portugal won 3-0.

Players from Algeria also regularly compete for Portuguese clubs, including well-known names such as the national team Islam Slimani , who played for Sporting Lisbon for a long time , or Yacine Brahimi , who has been under contract with FC Porto since 2014 .