French Prime Minister Elizabeth Born is accompanied by a large delegation of 16 ministers during her visit to Algeria on Sunday and Monday to dedicate the "partnership" established by the French and Algerian presidents at the end of August, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Yesterday, Thursday, the Foreign Ministry indicated that Borne is expected to meet Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on this occasion, without providing further details.
The visit will focus mainly on youth and economic cooperation, while more sensitive issues around immigration and the formation of a joint committee of historians are still under discussion.
As for the issue of increasing Algerian gas shipments to France, it is "not on the agenda" of the visit, according to the same source.
Upon her arrival on Sunday in Algeria, the French Prime Minister will lay a wreath at the shrine of the martyr commemorating the war of independence from France (1954-1962), before heading to Saint Eugen cemetery in Algiers, where many Algerian-born French people lie.
Macron (left) visited Algeria at the end of last August and signed with President Tebboune the "renewable partnership" declaration (Anatolia)
This visit aims to "implement" the six axes of the "Algeria Declaration for a Renewed Partnership" signed by French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Algerian Abdelmadjid Tebboune on August 27 at the conclusion of a three-day visit to Algeria.
After that, Elizabeth Bourne will meet with her Algerian counterpart, Ayman Ben Abderrahmane, before they open the fifth session of the high-level joint ministerial committee and preside over the signing of agreements in the fields of training and transition in the field of energy, economic cooperation, youth and education.
The Joint Ministerial Committee last met in 2017. Former French Prime Minister Jean Castix was scheduled to visit Algeria in April 2021, but the visit was postponed at the last minute in the context of strained bilateral relations.
On Monday, the two prime ministers will inaugurate the Algerian-French Business Forum, then Elizabeth Bourn will visit the French Alexandre Dumas high school before meeting with representatives of the French community and Algerian civil society.
With regard to easing the visa regime granted to Algerians in return for Algeria increasing cooperation in combating illegal immigration, the French Foreign Ministry said Thursday that "the discussions are not over yet" on the file.
As for the joint committee of historians to examine the archives of the two countries on the history of French colonialism and the Algerian resistance "without taboos", according to Bourne's office, it is "still under construction."