He announced that he will pay a state visit to France in 2023

Tebboune welcomes the new "relationship of trust" between Paris and Algeria

Tebboune confirmed his mutual friendship with Macron.

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Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune welcomed the new “relations of trust” between France and Algeria and his personal “mutual friendship” with President Emmanuel Macron, in a new sign of the return of warmth to bilateral relations, which were often troubled.

In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper published yesterday, Tebboune expressed his wishes for a "new era" with France, six months after his French counterpart's visit to the capital, Algeria.

He also announced that he would make a state visit to France in 2023.

"We have a certain understanding" with the French head of state, he said.

"I see in him the embodiment of a new generation that can save relations between our two countries," he added.

"We have a mutual friendship," he said.

Of course he and I had unfortunate formulas, but this is the first time it seems to me that there is such a relationship of trust between our two countries.

Paris and Algeria found the way to improve relations between them during Macron's visit to Algeria last August.

The two heads of state resumed their cooperation in a joint declaration signed with great fanfare, paving the way, in particular, for the easing of the visa regime granted to Algeria, in return for Algeria's increased cooperation in the field of combating illegal immigration.

The issue of the visa had poisoned the relations between the two countries after Paris decided in September 2021 to reduce the number of entry visas granted to nationals of three Arab Maghreb countries, namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

The aim behind this measure is to put pressure on the governments of these countries to cooperate with them in combating illegal immigration and to facilitate the recovery of their citizens who are expelled from France.

However, the file was settled about two weeks ago, when France announced, through its Interior Minister Gerald Darmanan, a return to normal in the context of granting visas to Algerian citizens, after the Tunisian citizens at the end of August and the Moroccans.

In October, French Prime Minister Elizabeth Born, accompanied by about 15 ministers, went to Algeria to conclude this reconciliation on economic projects and a “renewed partnership.”

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