ALGIERS — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday affirmed that the return of the Algerian Ambassador to France could be conditional on "total respect" from Paris for Algeria.

In an interview aired live on the local media, Tebboune said, "We can't act like nothing happened ... and our ambassador will return to Paris only when France shows total respect for the Algerian state."

Tebboune's statements refer to Algeria's recalling of its ambassador to Paris and banning French military planes from its airspace, following statements of French President Emmanuel Macron last week in which he criticized the Algerian regime.

This new episode of tensions between Paris and Algiers was provoked by a French decision later in September reducing the number of visas provided to Algerian officials by 50 percent.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry demanded explanations from the French Ambassador to Algiers. — Agencies