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.

A backlog of issues

The renewed cooperation is expected to take effect “as quickly as possible” and continue “at a very high level,” Nunez confirmed.

According to images released by Algerian authorities, the talks brought together senior security officials from both countries, including France’s domestic intelligence chief and Algeria’s head of internal security.

Invited by his counterpart Said Sayoud, Nunez’s trip had been planned for months but repeatedly delayed.

Both sides have a backlog of issues to tackle. Before traveling, Nunez said he intended to raise “all security issues,” including drug trafficking and counterterrorism. Algeria plays a key role in the latter, sharing borders with junta-led Niger and Mali, both gripped by jihadist violence.

Ahead of the trip, Nunez had also mentioned the case of Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist serving a seven-year sentence for “glorifying terrorism.” It is unclear whether the matter was discussed with Tebboune, from whom the journalist’s family has requested a pardon.