Diplomacy Restores Bridges Between Algeria And France

Communication has resumed between the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Attaf, and his French counterpart, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, after a hiatus of nearly a year. This contact comes in the context of a gradual return to warmth between the two countries, following an unprecedented political and diplomatic crisis that lasted almost a year and a half, caused by an ill-considered decision by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the Western Sahara issue.

A statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read: “The Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Attaf, received a phone call on March 15 from his French counterpart, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot.”

The phone call reviewed “the reality of bilateral relations between the two countries as well as the available prospects for them.” The two parties also exchanged, the statement added, “views on the situation in the Saharan Sahel region, as well as on developments related to the process of settling the Western Sahara issue.” In addition to “the serious developments in the Middle East region and their severe repercussions at regional and international levels.”

This is the first contact of its kind since the French minister’s visit to Algeria on April 3, 2025. However, that visit did not contribute to easing tensions, because his government colleague, former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, undermined this rapprochement by his involvement in targeting an Algerian consular official less than a week after that visit.

The phone call between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries is an extension of a remarkable calm that has characterized bilateral relations in recent weeks, marked by the visit of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to Algeria in the middle of last month, where he received a special reception from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Could this call be a real start to normalizing bilateral relations? What are its backgrounds, especially at this time? And is the inclusion of the Western Sahara issue among the topics discussed an indication of a breakthrough in the French position on this issue?

The former director of the Institute of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Algiers, Mr. Mohamed Khodja, believes that the phone call between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries was necessitated by the specificity of the circumstances, which are marked by a prominent global event, namely the American-Zionist aggression against Iran, and its serious repercussions, especially on the energy sector.

Mr. Khodja explained in a phone call with “Echorouk” that the rapprochement between Algeria and Paris is driven by the interests of each party, saying: “If the energy crisis, which erupted after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the repercussions of the American-Zionist aggression against Iran, is troubling the French side and, behind it, the countries of the European continent, then Algeria has an issue that concerns it, which is the Western Sahara issue, as it is an extension of security in the North African and Maghreb region in particular.”

According to Mr. Khodja, the French motive behind this communication is “the shift in the energy market, which is very burdensome for Europe.” Therefore, the latter did not rule out that the French side aims to obtain guarantees from Algeria to compensate as much as possible for energy shipments coming from the war zone in the Middle East, which have been disrupted by the ongoing war.

This is an opportunity for Algeria to raise its demands again to the French, especially those related to the position on the Western Sahara issue, as it affects, in one way or another, security and stability in the Maghreb region.

This factor is likely to boost the prospects of the Algerian-Nigerian gas pipeline for European and French consumers, as it is the most realistic and effective project, compared to the other project (the Moroccan-Nigerian pipeline), which remains illusory given its long distance and exorbitant costs, considering the energy concern that is troubling Europeans these days.

Mr. Mohamed Khodja estimated that the phone call could push bilateral relations towards stability, serving the needs of each party, especially in light of the volatile situation in the Middle East and its potential repercussions on the entire world. The French, the speaker said, have realized the importance of Algeria as an energy-supplying state.

For his part, the representative of the community in France, Mr. Saad Laanani, believes that the call between the two ministers expresses “the continuity of previous diplomacy, which began to take its course since the last visit of the French Interior Minister, which had a special meaning and expressed a kind of development in bilateral relations.”

Mr. Laanani expressed his certainty in a communication with “Echorouk” that the Algerian Foreign Minister must have affirmed to his French counterpart “Algeria’s firm and unwavering policy in defending the rights of the Sahrawi people and their will for self-determination to enjoy their freedom and independence within the framework of recognized international resolutions.”

The deputy estimated that “this contact falls within the framework of the preliminary local election results, which saw a relative advance for the “La France Insoumise” party, which includes some Algerian figures. This gives an additional advantage to Algerian politics and diplomacy in its dealings with France.” Despite all these factors, the speaker added, “the far-right forces always seek to sabotage bilateral relations, hoping to control decision-making sources in France”.