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France left embarrassed after Algerian minister searched at Paris airport

France termed the incident of searching of an Algerian minister at a Paris airport as regrettable and pledged to ensure such an "unfortunate incident" would not be repeated.

Algerian minister for communication Hamid Grine was subject to search at Orly Airport on Saturday.
Algerian minister for communication Hamid Grine was subject to search at Orly Airport on Saturday. AFP/ALEXANDER KLEIN
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On Sunday, Algeria summoned France's ambassador to protest a day after officials at Orly airport insisted on searching Communications Minister Hamid Grine despite his holding a diplomatic passport.

According to the Algerian authorities, Grine had been subjected to search at Orly airport "despite his status as a member of the government, despite him holding a diplomatic passport and passing through a lounge reserved for officials."

A French foreign ministry spokesperson said that they are working with the interior ministry and the management of Aeroports de Paris to make sure this type of particularly unfortunate incident did not happen again.

"We are committed to facilitating the travel of senior foreign officials in France," the spokesperson added.

The Algerian foreign ministry had denounced the treatment of Grine as "unacceptable", saying it was the third time such an incident had happened at a ministerial level.

It cited two earlier cases involving Industry Minister Abdeslam Bouchouareb and Housing Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

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