France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez looks on during a meeting with his Algerian counterpart in Algiers on February 16, 2026. STRINGER / AFP
France and Algeria agreed on Tuesday, February 17, to restart security cooperation during a visit to Algiers by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, marking the first sign of a thaw in diplomatic ties.
After meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Nunez said both sides had agreed to "reactivate a high-level security cooperation mechanism".
The visit took place against a backdrop of thorny relations between France and its former colony, frayed since Paris in 2024 officially backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, where Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front.
Nunez said Monday had been devoted to working sessions aimed at "restoring normal security relations", including cooperation in judicial matters, policing and intelligence. He thanked the Algerian president for instructing his services to work with French authorities to "improve cooperation on readmissions". Algeria has for months refused to take back its nationals living irregularly in France.
