Tebboune: I agreed with Macron to establish a full partnership with mutual respect

 

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that he had agreed with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to "establish a full partnership between their two countries in the light of mutual respect."

During a joint press conference with Macron, who arrived in Algeria today for a 3-day official visit, Tebboune said: "I agreed with Macron to establish a full partnership in light of the principles of respect and a balance of trust between the two countries... We aspire to enhance trade exchange between Algeria and France."

"I discussed with Macron the situation in Libya, Mali, the Sahel and Western Sahara," he added.

For his part, Macron told his Algerian counterpart: "We have a common, complex and painful past, which contributed somewhat to not looking at the future... We have to look at this past with the will of truth... Let's open the archives from the beginning of the (French) occupation to independence without taboos... And this in order to build the future.

The French president considered that "we did not choose the past, but rather we inherited it, and we have the responsibility to build the future for ourselves and for future generations."

French President Macron arrived in Algeria today, Thursday, "hoping to build trade relations and turn the page on a diplomatic dispute," and was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Relations with Algeria became more important for France, because the Russian special military operation in Ukraine led to an increase in Europe's demand for North African gas, and because of the increased migration across the Mediterranean.

 It is noteworthy that Algeria canceled, today also, the entry visa of the chief rabbi of France, "Haim Corsia" because of his support for "Israel", according to what a reliable source told "Al-Mayadeen", who stressed that "Algeria will not be drawn towards normalization and rejects it in all its forms, and it is firm on the Supporting just causes, most notably Palestine and Western Sahara.

Last July, Tebboune sent a congratulatory message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of his re-election for a second presidential term, in which he expressed his "satisfaction with the quality of our personal relationship characterized by trust and affection, and with the developments achieved, albeit relatively, by the Algerian-French partnership."

In it, Macron called for a visit to Algeria "soon, to launch together a dynamic that pushes forward in dealing with major issues, and to intensify and expand Algerian-French relations."

Last March, the Algerian president declared that the "crimes of French colonialism" in Algeria will not be subject to a statute of limitations, calling for a "fair treatment of the file of memory and history in an atmosphere of frankness and trust."

This came after relations between the two countries fell to their lowest level, when Macron said he doubted the existence of an "Algerian nation" before French colonialism.