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“The French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs has announced measures restricting movement and access to the French territory taken against Algerian nationals holding special travel documents exempting them from visa formalities,” said the press release.

“The Algerian Government expresses its surprise and dismay at this announcement of which it was not informed at all, as required by the provisions of Article 8 of the Algerian-French agreement on reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic or service passports,” added the same source, emphasizing that the Algerian authorities “have no knowledge of such restrictive measures with the exception of two specific cases that occurred in the recent period.”

Regarding the first case, after Algeria requested an explanation, French authorities expressed regret and described it as an unfortunate incident resulting from a breakdown in the chain of command.

As for the second case, which occurred recently, Algeria has submitted a similar request for explanations to French authorities, said the press release.

The announcement of these measures, of which the Algerian state “has not been informed, is part of the long list of provocations, intimidations, and threats directed against Algeria. These have no effect on our country, which will not yield to them. Any measure that infringes on its interests will be met with strict and immediate reciprocal measures.”

“Algeria has clearly become the stake in internal French political quarrels where all low political blows are allowed in the context of a competition, of which the extreme right is the instigator, the reference point, and the issuer of orders. This dynamic, which draws in its wake not only French political forces but also members of the French government, can have incalculable consequences on the Algerian-French relation in all its dimensions,” concluded the press release.

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