Macron arrives in Algeria for visit aimed at resetting relations

ALGIERS, Algeria

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Algeria this week in a bid to improve strained ties between Paris and Algiers, 60 years after the country won its independence from France.

Macron will visit Algeria from Thursday, August 25, to Saturday, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.

"This trip will contribute to deepening the bilateral relationship looking to the future ... to reinforce Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional challenges and to continue the work of addressing the past," the presidency said after a call between Macron and his opposite number Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The visit to Algeria comes shortly after the country marked the 60th anniversary of its independence from France.

French-Algerian ties hit a low late last year after Macron reportedly questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion and accused its "political-military system" of rewriting history and fomenting "hatred towards France".

Algeria withdrew its ambassador in response, but the two sides appear to have mended ties since. 

The North African country won its independence from France following a gruelling eight-year war, which ended with the signing in March 1962 of the Evian Accords.

On July 5 of the same year, days after 99.72 percent voted for independence in a referendum, Algeria finally broke free from colonial rule – but memories of the 132-year occupation continue to haunt its ties with France.

Macron's trip will be his second official visit to the North African country, which holds close business ties with Paris.

Thanks to its large natural gas reserves, Algeria recently has also become a centre of attention for the European Union in its efforts to cut back imports from Russia. - France24