Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - France - 24/07/2025

Translation:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken note, with astonishment, of the measure taken to hinder access by accredited agents of the Algerian Embassy in France to the restricted areas of Paris airports for the purpose of handling diplomatic pouches.

Following this measure, the Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Algeria was received today at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request clarifications on the matter. Likewise, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Algerian Embassy in France contacted the relevant departments of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The steps taken, both in Algiers and in Paris, have established that the said measure was taken by the French Ministry of the Interior, without the knowledge of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in total opacity and without the slightest official notification, contrary to the basic rules of diplomatic practice.

This measure constitutes a serious infringement on the proper functioning of the Algerian diplomatic mission in France, as well as a blatant violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, particularly Article 27, paragraph 7. This article explicitly affirms the right of every diplomatic mission "to send one of its accredited members to take possession of the diplomatic pouch directly and freely from the commander of the aircraft."

In response to this situation, Algeria has decided to apply the principle of reciprocity strictly and without delay. It also reserves the right to pursue all appropriate legal avenues, including referring the matter to the United Nations, in order to assert its rights and ensure the protection of its diplomatic mission in France.