Press Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - France(01) 07/08/2025
Algeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Algerian authorities carefully examined the letter addressed by the French President to his Prime Minister, as well as the explanations provided on August 7th to the Chargé d'affaires at the Algerian embassy in France by the Quai d'Orsay.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that an examination of the letter and the supporting explanations gives rise to some important preliminary observations.
First and foremost, with respect to the deterioration of Algerian-French relations, the letter absolves France of all responsibility and places all blame on the Algerian side. Nothing could be further from the truth and reality. Throughout all phases of the current crisis, the Ministry has regularly issued official statements. These statements systematically established responsibility for the escalation and show that the reactions and countermeasures taken by the Algerian authorities were strictly and rigorously in line with the principle of reciprocity.
Secondly, the letter seeks to paint France as a country highly concerned with fulfilling its bilateral and international obligations and Algeria as a State continuously breaching its own. Here too, nothing could be further from the truth and reality.
In this case, it is France that has contravened its own domestic legislation.
It is also France that has failed to fulfil its commitments, in three respects, under the Algerian French Agreement of 1968 on the movement, employment and residence in France of Algerian nationals and their families, of the Algerian-French consular convention of 1974 and the Algerian-French Agreement of 2013 on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
It is France, moreover, that has made the Algerian-French Agreement of 1994, on the readmission of Algerian nationals living illegally in France, its sole and only focus, distorting its purpose and misrepresenting its true objectives. It is France, after all, that has renounced its obligations under the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.
All of these French violations were aimed solely at disregarding the acquired rights of Algerian nationals who were often arbitrarily and abusively removed from French territory, depriving them of the administrative and judicial remedies guaranteed to them by French law itself and rendering meaningless the Algerian State's duty of consular protection towards its nationals in all places and at all times.
Thirdly, as soon as this crisis, which it had brought upon itself, arose, France framed its management in terms of power relations. It is France that has proceeded with injunctions, ultimatums and summonses. This was to ignore that Algeria does not give in to pressure, threats or blackmail of any kind. These observations determine Algeria's response to the letter sent by the French Head of State to his Prime Minister.
Algeria would like to reiterate that it has never requested the conclusion of a bilateral visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports. On numerous occasions, it has been France, and France alone, that has made such a request. By deciding to suspend this agreement, France is offering Algeria the perfect opportunity to announce its outright denunciation of the same agreement. In accordance with the provisions of Article 08 of the said agreement, the Algerian Government shall immediately notify the French Government of this denunciation through diplomatic channels.
From now on, visas granted to French holders of diplomatic and service passports will be subject to the same conditions as those imposed by France on their Algerian counterparts.
In relation to the reinstatement of the visa-readmission mechanism, the Algerian Government should note that it is in flagrant violation of the 1968 Algerian-French agreement and the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Algeria will provide unfailing consular protection to its nationals in France. It will help them assert their rights and ensure that all the protections guaranteed to them by French and European law against abuse and arbitrary treatment are upheld.
The letter sent by the French Head of State to his Prime Minister provides a biased view of the issue of diplomatic and consular staff accreditation in both countries. For more than two years, France has taken the initiative not to grant such accreditations to Algerian consular staff, including three Consuls General and five Consuls.
On this issue, as on others, Algeria has simply applied the principle of reciprocity. Once the French restrictions are lifted, Algeria will respond with similar measures. This position has already been communicated to the French authorities and remains in force.
In its final provisions, the letter from the French Head of State to his Prime Minister lists a number of bilateral disputes that need to be resolved.
Algeria intends to take diplomatic action against France in other disputes that also needs to be settled.
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