Heba Bريس – Shafiq Anouri
The Algerian government announced its decision to terminate the agreement with France on the mutual waiver of short-stay visas for holders of diplomatic or service passports, which was signed in Algiers in December 2013.
This decision, published in the official gazette on September 17th, follows an official notification sent by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the French Embassy in Algiers on August 7th. The published information clarifies that Algeria also decided, starting August 7th, to subject French citizens holding diplomatic or service passports to visa requirements, in response to France’s suspension of the same agreement.
This move reveals a sharp diplomatic escalation between the two countries. The relationship between Algeria and Paris has witnessed increasing tensions for several years, fueled by various political, economic, historical, and strategic issues.
Observers believe that the Algerian decision, aimed at compelling France to de-escalate, could backfire, potentially leading Paris to cancel or revise the migration agreement between the two countries—a major concern for the “El Mouradia Palace” (Algerian Presidential Palace).
