Algeria’s foreign ministry on 19 May took retaliatory measures against France after Paris reportedly cancelled visa-free privileges for Algerian diplomatic passport holders, with both countries expelling diplomats and exchanging accusations in what has been described as the worst breakdown of bilateral relations since Algeria’s independence from its former colonizer in 1962 (MEES, 2 May).
The ministry described the decision, leaked by French right-wing media, as a “flagrant breach of established diplomatic norms and a clear violation of the 2013 Algerian-French agreement concerning visa exemptions for diplomatic and service passport holders.” (CONTINUED - 155 WORDS)