Algeria Begins Process to Cancel 2013 Air Services Agreement with UAE

Algeria has initiated the process to cancel its air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates, signed in Abu Dhabi on May 13, 2013, and approved by presidential decree on December 30, 2014.

Algeria's state radio announced that the necessary actions for cancellation have begun. According to Article 22 of the agreement, the UAE must be formally notified through diplomatic channels, and the Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) must be informed to take required steps.

State media reported the development on February 7, but no immediate reason was provided. Algerian media in recent months have accused the UAE of efforts to sow discord in the region. No reaction from the UAE has been announced as of yet.

In October of the previous year, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated that relations with Gulf countries were warm, except for one unnamed country, in an apparent reference to the UAE. Tebboune described ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar as "brotherly," while accusing the unnamed nation of interfering in Algeria's internal affairs and attempting to destabilize the country.