The top French diplomat, Jean-Yves Le Drian, arrived in Algeria where he will hold a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. France is ready to relaunch the diplomatic relations with its former colony.
French foreign minister and the Algerian leader will have a chance to improve the ties between their countries after the controversial comments made recently by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Minister Le Drian will meet with Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra during the visit, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Commenting on the recent official trip to the North African nation, the ministry said Le Drian’s visit aims to “evaluate and relaunch French-Algerian relations”.
In September, the relations between Algeria and France have worsened because of the remarks made by Emmanuel Macron about the North African country’s colonial past.
In a bid to palliate its atrocious colonial past, the French leader claimed that “there was a colonization before the French colonial rule” in Algeria, alluding to the Ottoman presence in the country between 1514 and 1830. Macron’s remarks have sparked a storm of condemnations in the North African nation.
Algeria responded by recalling its ambassador from France and banning French military aircraft from using Algerian airspace, according to Andalou Agency.
