The head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian called Wednesday December 8 for a "
peaceful relationship
" between France and Algeria where he made a visit intended to dissipate the tension between the two countries.
Read alsoWhat is the political impact of the memory of the Algerian war?
"
I hope that our two countries together resume the path of a peaceful relationship and can look to the future,
" Jean-Yves Le Drian told the press after meeting President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
"
We hope that the dialogue that we are relaunching today can lead to a resumption of political exchanges between our two governments in 2022 beyond the wounds of the past that we must face in the face of the misunderstandings that we have to overcome.
", he added.
"Our consultation is essential"
He also affirmed that Algeria was "
an essential partner for France at the bilateral level, but also at the regional level
". “
France and Algeria together face major challenges in an uncertain regional and international environment. We must be able to offer operational responses to the challenges posed by terrorism in the Sahel region, but also illegal emigration as well as the challenges of economic development. On all these subjects and because our interests are common, our consultation is essential and that was the meaning of my presence today in Algiers,
”he continued.
Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit aims to relaunch the bilateral relationship after more than two months of a crisis of rare gravity between the North African country and the former colonial power, fueled in particular by a conflict of memory.
President Emmanuel Macron sparked the ire of Algiers in October by accusing, according to statements reported by the French daily
Le Monde
, the
Algerian
"
politico-military
" system of maintaining a "
memorial rent
" around the war of independence and France, a former colonial power, while Paris has started work to try to appease this memorial question in France.
Read also France-Algeria: shadows and lights of a long history
According to the daily, he had also questioned the existence of an “
Algerian nation
” before French colonization, causing strong reactions in Algerian society.
In protest, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris on October 3 and banned the overflight of its territory to French military planes rallying the Sahel.
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