French President Emmanuel Macron has officially suspended the 2013 visa waiver agreement that allowed holders of official and diplomatic passports from Algeria to enter France without a visa, citing a shift toward a “firmer approach” in bilateral relations.

According to a letter from the Élysée Palace, sent by a senior official to Prime Minister François Bayrou and reported by the French daily Le Figaro, the decision follows months of what Paris describes as a lack of cooperation from Algerian authorities.

“The Algerian government has deliberately ignored our repeated calls for joint efforts to advance mutual interests,” Macron stated in the letter. “We are left with no choice but to adopt a more stringent and transparent policy toward Algeria,” he added.

The move marks a new escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries, already strained by disputes over migration, security cooperation, and historical grievances