Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (L, front) welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron in Algiers, Algeria, Aug. 25, 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday arrived in Algeria for a three-day visit aimed at easing the strained ties and boosting cooperation. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)
ALGIERS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday arrived in Algeria for a three-day visit aimed at easing the strained ties and boosting cooperation.
Macron was welcomed upon his arrival at the Algiers International Airport by his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune and a number of senior Algerian officials.
At a joint press conference held in Algiers, capital of Algeria, Tebboune and Macron agreed to give a new impetus to bilateral relations by surmounting "the memory issue," referring to France's 132-year-long colonial rule of the North African country, before opening new horizons for strategic cooperation.
During their meeting, the two leaders also discussed ways for boosting bilateral cooperation in high-tech, cultural, and economic sectors to improve the business climate, according to Tebboune.
The Algerian president confirmed that senior officials from both countries will exchange visits to continue dialogue and enhance cooperation.
For his part, Macron said the two countries had to overcome their "painful past" by discussing all "taboo issues" relating to the colonial period.
The French president noted his talks with Tebboune focused on boosting cooperation on fields of economy, innovation, startups, culture, sports and more.
They also talked about the situation in the Sahel region. Macron hailed Algeria's efforts in establishing peace in Mali through a peace agreement signed in Algiers between Mali's pro-government armed groups and rebel groups.
During Macron's visit, a number of meetings will be held between officials and entrepreneurs from both sides. As France expects to ensure more natural gas supply after the European Union sanctioned Russian gas following the Russia-Ukraine crisis, energy cooperation between France and Algeria will be high on the agenda.
France is one of the biggest investors outside of the oil and gas sector in Algeria. About 500 French companies in Algeria employ almost 40,000 people directly, according to figures released by the French government.
However, Algiers and Paris have failed to normalize their ties, as the two nations are still unable to settle the issues regarding their past that include France's colonial rule of the North Afrian country.
Bilateral ties were hit by a diplomatic rift in September last year after France decided to reduce the number of visas granted to Algerian officials, and Macron's critical remarks against Algeria. Macron criticized the "political-military system" in Algeria for rewriting Algerian history and fomenting "hatred" toward France.
In response, Algiers recalled its ambassador to France and closed its airspace to French military aircraft. After months of diplomatic crisis, the two countries decided to resume political dialogue in December last year. ■
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Algiers, Algeria, Aug. 25, 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday arrived in Algeria for a three-day visit aimed at easing the strained ties and boosting cooperation. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)