The Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Algeria was summoned on Thursday to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director of Immunities and Privileges, as stated in a ministry announcement.
During this meeting, two verbal notes were presented to the French diplomat, according to the same source.
“The first verbal note formally notified the French side of Algeria’s denunciation of the 2013 Algeria-France Agreement concerning the mutual exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports. This denunciation goes beyond the mere suspension previously communicated by the French side and definitively terminates the existence of this agreement,” the statement continued.
“As a result, and without prejudice to the timelines outlined in the agreement, the Algerian government has decided to immediately impose visa requirements on holders of French diplomatic and service passports. Furthermore, it reserves the right to subject the issuance of these visas to the same conditions that the French government will establish for Algerian nationals. This reflects a strict application of the principle of reciprocity, which primarily underscores Algeria’s rejection of any French attempts at provocation, intimidation, or bargaining.”
The second verbal note aims to “inform the French side of the Algerian authorities’ decision to discontinue the gratuitous provision of real estate properties owned by the Algerian state to the French Embassy in Algeria. This note also announces a review of the significantly advantageous leases contracted by the embassy with Algeria’s OPGIs and invites the French side to send a delegation to Algiers to initiate discussions on this matter,” the statement emphasized.
“It should be noted that the Algerian diplomatic representation in France does not enjoy any such advantages. Consequently, this decisive action by Algeria is also intended to introduce balance and reciprocity into the overall Algeria-France relationship,” the source concluded.
