France announced the return of its ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, to resume his duties after more than a year following his recall for consultations amid a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

The Élysée Palace stated that the ambassador will accompany junior minister Alice Rufo during her official visit to Algeria and work on reactivating bilateral cooperation based on the principle of reciprocity.

The move comes after months of escalating tensions, which were triggered by Paris’ endorsement of Morocco’s position on Western Sahara, along with reciprocal diplomatic measures, including the expulsion of consular staff and the recall of ambassadors.