The Elysee Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will pay an official visit to Algeria from 25 to 27 August, with the aim of reviving the partnership between the two countries or at least seeking to dispel differences and tensions.
Macron's office said that the president accepted an invitation from his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and that it will be Macron's second official visit to Algeria, which has close trade relations with Paris.
A statement by the French presidency issued after a phone call today, Saturday between Macron and his Algerian counterpart, said that "this visit will contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations in the future... and to the strengthening of French-Algerian cooperation in facing regional challenges and continuing to work on the memory" of the colonial period.
The visit begins on Thursday, August 25 and continues until Saturday, August 27, during which the French president will visit the Algerian capital and the city of Oran, a visit that comes years after a first visit in December 2017, at the start of his first presidential term, which was limited to 12 hours.
Algeria, thanks to its large reserves of natural gas, has become the focus of the European Union's efforts to reduce imports from Russia.
Relations between Macron and Tebboune were strained last year when the French president's statements about Algeria's history led to a diplomatic row linked to Algeria's French colonial past.
Algeria recalled its ambassador to France at the time, and he returned after about 3 months.
In the end, the French president expressed his "regret" for the controversy raised by his statements, in an effort to contain the crisis.