France, Algeria relaunch high-level security cooperation

France and Algeria have agreed to relaunch a “high-level security cooperation,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on February 17, following a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a visit to Algiers.

Nuñez said he had worked with his Algerian counterparts to “reactivate a high-level security cooperation framework,” with the aim of “resuming normal security relations” and deepening collaboration in judicial, police, and intelligence matters, Caliber.Az reports via French-based international media.

The meeting also included Boualem Boualem, Chief of Staff to President Tebboune, Saïd Sayoud, Nuñez’s Algerian counterpart, Ammar Abba, Tebboune’s diplomatic advisor, and the head of Algeria’s domestic security agency (DGSI), Major-General Abdelkader Aït-Ouarabi, according to a video released by the Algerian presidency.

Speaking on the visit, Nuñez emphasised the need to “significantly improve our cooperation on readmissions,” referring to the return of Algerian nationals in irregular situations in France, which Algeria has suspended in recent months.

“All of this will be implemented as swiftly as possible,” he said, highlighting the success of the visit and expressing hope that “relations at a very high level, in security, security cooperation, and migration, can continue.”

The visit comes amid a serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Nuñez’s trip, initially planned several months ago at Sayoud’s invitation, began on February 16 and included working meetings on security matters, attended by senior officials from both countries, including French domestic security chief Céline Berthon.

Prior to the trip, Nuñez had outlined discussions on “all security issues,” including counter-terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and the contentious readmissions issue. The case of French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, serving a seven-year prison sentence for “apology of terrorism” confirmed on appeal in December, was also expected to be raised.

Bilateral relations have been severely strained since France recognised a Moroccan sovereignty-based autonomy plan for Western Sahara in the summer of 2024.

By Aghakazim Guliyev