The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received a phone call on Monday from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who extended his best wishes for success and prosperity to him and the Algerian people on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr. During the call, they agreed to immediately resume security cooperation between the two countries and the work of the joint historians' commission, according to a statement from the Presidency of the Republic.
"The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received a phone call this evening from his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, during which President Macron expressed his best wishes for success and prosperity to President Tebboune and the Algerian people on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr," the statement reads.
"The two presidents engaged in a long, frank, and friendly discussion about the state of bilateral relations and the tensions that have accumulated in recent months," the same source adds.
In this regard, "the two Presidents reiterated their commitment to restoring the fruitful dialogue they had established with the Algiers Declaration of August 2022, which had led to significant steps in addressing historical memory, including the creation of the Franco-Algerian joint historians' commission, the restitution of the remains of martyrs from the Resistance, and the acknowledgment of responsibility for the deaths of Ali Boumendjel and Larbi Ben M’hidi."
In the same vein, "the two Presidents agreed that the strength of the ties—particularly human—binding Algeria and France, their respective strategic and security interests, and the challenges and crises facing Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa required a return to this equal dialogue between two partners who are leading European and African actors, committed to international legality and the purposes and principles set forth in the United Nations Charter."
"They agreed to work closely together to infuse this relationship with a new ambition in a spirit of friendship, enabling all aspects of bilateral relations to be addressed with a focus on efficiency and results."
Thus, the same source adds, "the two Presidents agreed to resume security cooperation without delay."
The two Presidents "concurred that confident, smooth, and effective migration cooperation, addressing all dimensions of mobility between the two countries, must be immediately reinitiated, with a results-oriented approach that responds to the concerns of both nations."
"While acknowledging the work already accomplished by the joint historians' commission, created at their initiative, the two Presidents affirmed their unwavering determination to continue and complete this memory work, in a spirit of reconciliation, healing, and the redefinition of the relationship to which both heads of state are committed."
Furthermore, "the joint historians' commission will resume its work without delay and will meet soon in France, with the conclusions of its work and concrete proposals to be submitted to the two heads of state before the summer of 2025," the same source confirms.
During this phone conversation, "the importance of judicial cooperation between the two countries was emphasized, and the two Presidents agreed to resume exchanges and cooperation in this area."
"The two Presidents confirmed the upcoming visit to Algiers by the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice, Mr. Gérald Darmanin."
Additionally, "the two Presidents stressed the importance of developing economic cooperation between the two countries in forward-looking sectors. They committed to strengthening trade and investment while respecting the interests of both nations."
"President Macron informed President Tebboune of France’s support for revising the European Union-Algeria Association Agreement."
"President Macron reiterated his confidence in President Tebboune’s wisdom and called for a gesture of clemency and humanity toward Mr. Boualem Sansal, citing the writer’s age and health condition," the same source adds.
"To swiftly imbue the relationship between France and Algeria with the ambition that the two heads of state wish to confer upon it, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, will travel to Algiers on April 6 at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart, Mr. Ahmed Attaf."
"This visit will allow for detailing this ambitious work program, outlining its operational modalities, and establishing a timeline for implementation. It will thus confirm that the shared ambition for a bold, calm, and mutually respectful relationship will yield concrete results."
"Finally, the two Presidents agreed in principle to hold a meeting in the near future," the statement from the Presidency of the Republic concludes.
