Belaiz boycotts Arab Interior Ministers’ meeting in Nouakchott

Algeria has decided to scale down the level of its diplomatic representation in all international or regional meetings and activities to be held in Mauritania in the future, following the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, after the unjustifiable and improper expulsion by the Mauritanian authorities of one of the Algerian diplomats working in the Embassy of Algeria in Nouakchott, touching off a broad discontent and indignation in Algeria.

An official source at the Ministry of the Interior and local assemblies indicated on Tuesday that the state Minister and Minister of the Interior and local assemblies, Tayeb Belaiz, cancelled his scheduled participation in the meeting of Arab Ministers of the Interior due to be held Wednesday in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott at the behest of the President of the Republic Mr Abdellaziz Bouteflika.

The source said that Mr Tayeb Belaiz had decided at the last minute not to take part in the fifth session of the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior of the Maghreb Union slated between 28 and 30 April in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, in line with a presidential injunction.

It was therefore decided to send a lower-level delegation to represent Algeria at this meeting, the same source added.

Algeria on Sunday described as both “surprising” and “incomprehensible” a decision by Mauritania to declare an Algerian diplomat in Nouakchott “persona non grata.”

“This decision is incomprehensible,” an Algerian diplomat was quoted by “Echorouk TV” as saying.

Another Algerian diplomat commented on the Mauritanian declaration by describing it as “surprising and unfriendly.”

“We will duly reconsider our relationship with Mauritania,” the diplomat told Echorouk.