France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Saturday said he had "deep regrets" over Algeria's refusal to issue visas to two French journalists in a row over the so-called Panama Papers revelations.
Hours before flying to Algiers for an official visit to the former French colony, Valls tweeted: "I will bring up this point with friendship and frankness" while feeling "deep regrets" over the decision.
The journalists from Le Monde newspaper and television show Le Petit Journal on Canal+ were to have covered Valls' weekend visit to the north African country.
Four other major French media outlets, including Le Monde's rival newspapers Liberation and Le Figaro, said they would boycott the trip in protest.
After learning of the Algerians' intentions on Wednesday, Valls spoke to his counterpart Abdelmalek Sellal to try to get the ban lifted, but without success, a source close to him said.
Le Monde was one of a large group of newspapers around the world to publish the leak of millions of financial records showing how Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca had helped firms and wealthy individuals set up offshore companies.
France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Saturday said he had “deep regrets” over Algeria’s refusal to issue visas to two French journalists in a row over the so-called Panama Papers revelations.
Hours before flying to Algiers for an official visit to the former French colony, Valls tweeted: “I will bring up this point with friendship and frankness” while feeling “deep regrets” over the decision.
The journalists from Le Monde newspaper and television show Le Petit Journal on Canal+ were to have covered Valls’ weekend visit to the north African country.
Four other major French media outlets, including Le Monde’s rival newspapers Liberation and Le Figaro, said they would boycott the trip in protest.
After learning of the Algerians’ intentions on Wednesday, Valls spoke to his counterpart Abdelmalek Sellal to try to get the ban lifted, but without success, a source close to him said.
Le Monde was one of a large group of newspapers around the world to publish the leak of millions of financial records showing how Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca had helped firms and wealthy individuals set up offshore companies.
