French top diplomat visits Algeria to mend relations
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Macron desperately attempts to reconcile with the former French colony.
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French diplomat Le Drian and Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in an Algiers meeting on January 21, 2020.
Confirmed by Algerian media, the French Foreign Ministry announced that FM Jean-Yves Le Drian will be holding rare talks in Algiers, Algeria, to mend relations that have been strained due to a "series of disagreements."
The Foreign Ministry source, who asked not to be named, reported to AFP that Le Drian is making a "working visit to evaluate and relaunch the relationship," noting that Le Drian has already arrived in Algeria.
The visit was revealed at the last minute, according to the source. Le Drian will be negotiating with the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, and will also meet with the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Macron scurries to make nice with former French colonies
French President Emmanuel Macron said in October that he "desperately" hoped relations with Algeria could be repaired following a spat over visas and critical remarks made by Paris toward Algiers.
"My wish is for a calming down because I think it's better to talk and to make progress," Macron told France Inter, adding that his relations with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune were "truly cordial".
The diplomatic spat deepened after Algiers banned French military planes from its airspace - a response to grave comments from Macron who had told descendants of Algeria's war of independence that the North African country was ruled by a "political-military system" that had "totally re-written" its history.
Algiers, angered by France's decision to restrict visas on Algerians, also refused to initiate dialogue with Macron after his statements, which questioned the existence of Algeria before French colonization.
The Algerian President stressed that he will not make the first step in dialogue, otherwise, he will lose the support of Algerians, because, according to him, this is a "national problem". He further stressed that no Algerian will accept dialogue "with those who uttered these insults." Tebboune expressed his pessimism about ending the dispute between Paris and Algeria, stressing that the Algerians were not nomadic tribes before French colonialism.
