The French president asked his government to act with “more firmness and determination” vis-à-vis Algiers, in a letter addressed to François Bayrou yesterday.
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Tensions are not about to calm down. Algeria accused, on Thursday, August 7, France of exonerating “of his responsibilities” In the bilateral crisis that has been raging for several months between the two countries. In a press release, Algerian diplomacy also denounces the agreement on the exemption from visas for the benefit of diplomatic passports and service holders, of which Emmanuel Macron asked for suspension on Wednesday.
The letter, where French president Emmanuel Macron makes this announcement, “Exonces France from all of its responsibilities and makes all wrongs bring to the Algerian part. Nothing is further from truth and reality”estimates the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Regarding the visa exemption agreement, Algiers recalls that “It is France, and it alone, which was at the origin of such a request. By deciding the suspension of this agreement, France offers Algeria the appropriate opportunity to announce, for its part, the pure and simple denunciation of this same agreement”.
In his missive, the French president asked the government “The formal suspension” of a 2013 agreement “Regarding visa exemptions on official and diplomatic passports” Algerians. France must act “With more firmness and determination” and the government must take “Additional decisions” vis-à-vis Algeria, he urges, notably invoking the “Reserved spell” to the writer Boualem Sansal and to journalist Christophe Gleizes, imprisoned in Algeria. It also refers to “Failure by Algeria of its obligations” in migration matters, as well as “The cessation of cooperation of the 18 Algerian consulates present on our soil with the state services”.