“We wish to maintain the best relations with Algeria (…) but this is not the case today,” regretted Jean-Noël Barrot, the head of French diplomacy, on Sunday.
Published on 05/01/2025 15:22
Updated on 05/01/2025 15:55
Reading time: 1min
Jean-Noël Barrot has “doubts” on Algiers' desire to respect the road map concerning bilateral relations between France and Algeria. “In 2022 (…) we wrote a roadmap (…), we want to do this [qu’elle] can be followed. (…) But we observe postures, decisions on the part of the Algerian authorities which allow us to doubt the intention of the Algerians to stick to this road map. Because to keep the roadmap, it takes two”recalled the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on RTL, Sunday January 5.
The head of French diplomacy declared “like the President of the Republic, very concerned by the fact that the request for release sent by Boualem Sansal and his lawyers was rejected.” Critical of Algerian power, the 75-year-old writer, born to a father of Moroccan origin and an Algerian mother, has been incarcerated since mid-November for endangering state security and is in a unit care since mid-December.
“We want to maintain the best relations with Algeria (…) but this is not the case today,” regretted the minister. Algiers withdrew its ambassador from Paris at the end of July when Emmanuel Macron gave strong support to Moroccan proposals concerning Western Sahara, before going to Rabat at the end of October.
