France resumes dialogue with Algeria, announces ambassador's return to Algiers
via Business News4 min read
France announced on Friday, May 8, 2026, the return of its ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, as part of renewed bilateral dialogue between the two nations. The French presidency, in a statement from the Élysée, indicated that the diplomat would accompany Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans, during her visit to Algeria on the same day. Ms. Rufo's visit coincides with the 80th anniversary commemorations of the events of May 8, 1945, and she is expected to visit Sétif to honor victims of violence in Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata. This resumption of diplomatic activities aims to restore bilateral cooperation based on reciprocity and mutual respect. Paris also expressed its intent to strengthen consular cooperation with Algiers and deepen recent dialogues. Romatet will focus on all aspects of bilateral cooperation, prioritizing the return to France of Christophe Gleizes, a French journalist. Gleizes was sentenced to seven years in prison for advocating terrorism, accused by Algerian authorities of communicating with individuals linked to a separatist movement while reporting on the Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie football club in May 2024. He has been detained for nineteen months, with his sentence, including a 3300 euro fine, confirmed on appeal, which France "strongly regretted" and repeatedly called for his release. This case led to a significant diplomatic crisis, resulting in Ambassador Romatet's recall to Paris in April 2025.
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