Algiers: 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 said Thursday in a press release.
According to Algeria Press Service, 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 rigoro
usly in line with the principle of reciprocity,” the statement said.
The Ministry further criticized the French letter for attempting to depict France as a country highly concerned with fulfilling its bilateral and international obligations while portraying Algeria as continuously breaching its own. They emphasized that France had contravened its domestic legislation and failed to meet its commitments under several agreements, including the Algerian French Agreement of 1968, the Algerian-French consular convention of 1974, and the Algerian-French Agreement of 2013 on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
The statement highlighted that France has misrepresented the objectives of the Algerian-French Agreement of 1994 on the readmission of Algerian nationals living illegally in France. Additionally, the Ministry accused France of violating the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights, alleging that France’s actions were aimed at disregarding the rights of Algerian nationals who were o
ften arbitrarily removed from French territory.
The statement continued, criticizing France’s approach to managing the crisis through power relations, injunctions, ultimatums, and summonses. The Algerian authorities emphasized that Algeria does not succumb to pressure, threats, or blackmail and reiterated their stance on the bilateral visa exemption agreement, clarifying that it was France that repeatedly requested such an agreement, not Algeria.
The statement concluded with Algeria’s commitment to providing consular protection to its nationals in France and ensuring that their rights are upheld. Algeria also expressed its intention to take diplomatic action against France regarding unresolved bilateral disputes.