Algeria on Wednesday expressed its ‘surprise and astonishment’ at the restrictive measures on movement and entry into French territory, denouncing a new episode of ‘provocations’.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by the official news agency that it had ‘not been informed in any way, as required by the provisions of Article 8 of the Algerian-French agreement on the reciprocal exemption from visas for holders of diplomatic or mission passports’, according to AFP.

On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that his country had taken measures to prevent Algerian officials from entering French territory.