Referring to a “love story with Algeria”, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he will extend his visit to this country by returning to Algiers on Saturday to sign a “renewed partnership” with his counterpart Abdelmajid Tebboune. “I will return after Oran to Algiers to greet President Tebboune and his ministers and sign a joint declaration, decided yesterday and during the night, because things are going well in the enthusiasm of the moment”, he said before the French community in Algiers. The Élysée spoke of a “renewed, concrete and ambitious partnership”.
With Algeria, it is “a story that has never been simple. But which is and which will remain, because we want it, a story of respect, friendship and, dare I say it, love”, said Emmanuel Macron. He specified that it would be “a new partnership for and by youth”, announcing already the acceptance of 8,000 more Algerian students this year in France, who will join an annual contingent of 30,000 young people. . With Algeria, “let’s be idealistic and needy”, added Emmanuel Macron, saying he wanted “to bring out cooperation projects in all areas”.
Paris wants to help “youth training” in Algeria
“Algeria is a great country of cinema”, underlined Emmanuel Macron, advocating the “development of common creative capacities”. He defended the idea of ”chosen mobility” for the granting of visas to Algerians, to train “a new Franco-Algerian generation in the economy, the arts, etc…” After meeting young entrepreneurs Algerians, Emmanuel Macron called for “structuring innovation projects” in which the public investment bank Bpifrance will have “a key role in also promoting projects from the diaspora”.
For Emmanuel Macron, the Algerian diaspora who often speak French, Arabic, English and other languages as well as young people from both shores of the Mediterranean are “a chance” for both countries. Paris wants to help “training young people” in Algeria, with the establishment of a school 42 (coding school open to non-graduates) on the initiative of the owner of the telecommunications group Iliad, Xavier Niel. In addition, a common incubator of start-ups operating in the digital field will be set up.
Discussions “until the middle of the night”
Emmanuel Macron’s program calls for him to go to Oran on Friday evening, a western city known for its freedom of spirit and creativity. He will meet there on Saturday young artists and sportsmen including breakdance champions. He must also visit the shop of the famous raï music label Disco Maghreb, brought up to date by the French DJ Snake.
Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmajid Tebboune had several interviews on Thursday, one-on-one or with various ministers, including defense ministers. They discussed “until the middle of the night” the issue of visas, according to Emmanuel Macron, after France decided in the fall of 2021 to halve the number of visas granted for Algeria, deemed too few cooperative in the readmission of its nationals expelled from France. In addition to the memory file around the French colonization of Algeria (1830-1962), this question has poisoned bilateral relations in recent months.