Algeria condemned France on Thursday for barring its diplomats from restricted areas at Paris airports.
The French authorities blocked Algerian diplomats from handling diplomatic bags, a move Algeria called “deeply concerning.”
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry expressed surprise at the obstruction, saying it violated diplomatic norms and hindered embassy operations.
In response, Algeria summoned the French chargé d’affaires in Algiers for clarification and contacted French Foreign Ministry officials.
Algeria learned the restriction came from France’s Interior Ministry, bypassing the Foreign Ministry, raising concerns over transparency.
The ministry condemned the decision as a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees diplomatic bag access.
Algeria vowed to immediately apply reciprocity and reserved the right to take legal action, including appealing to the United Nations.
This incident intensifies tensions in the worst diplomatic crisis between Algeria and France since Algeria gained independence in 1962.
Diplomatic relations were already downgraded to chargé d’affaires in July 2024, following France’s support for Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy plan.
Algeria strongly opposes that plan, fueling a broader geopolitical rift that now extends to airport diplomatic protocols.
The dispute reflects deepening mistrust and highlights the fragile state of Algeria-France relations amid regional political disputes.
Both countries face a complex challenge in restoring diplomatic trust after decades of historical grievances and recent political disagreements.