French president Macron to visit Algeria next week

By Esat Firat

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron will pay an official visit to Algeria next week, the Algerian and French presidencies announced on Saturday.

In a phone call, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Macron discussed bilateral cooperation and the agenda of the upcoming visit.

Macron thanked Tebboune for the invitation and conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives in recent forest fires that ravaged northern Algeria.

While the Algerian side did not disclose the date of the tour, the Elysee Palace said Macron will visit Algeria from Aug. 25-27.

"This trip will contribute to deepen the bilateral relationship ... to strengthen Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional issues and to continue the work of addressing the past," the French presidency said.

Macron's visit is being seen as an opportunity to mend strained ties between Paris and Algiers.

While disagreements are rooted in their shared past, tensions hit a new low last year after Macron questioned Algeria’s pre-colonial identity, and France slashed the number of visas available to nationals from Algeria.

The North African country won its independence from France following an eight-year war in 1962.