Jacques Serais, edited by Laura Laplaud
modified to
12:39 p.m., August 26, 2022
The President of the French Republic continues his visit to Algeria this Friday. After a long meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday evening, the two leaders showed courtesy, enthusiasm and appeasement when speaking to the media.
Emmanuel Macron continues his visit to Algeria this Friday. He must go this morning to the Saint Eugène cemetery for a tribute to the dead for France, then he will exchange with young entrepreneurs before speaking to the French community residing in Algeria. The tenant of the Élysée will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers on Friday evening and then fly to Oran. Arrived Thursday, the Head of State spoke the same day with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in a long 2:15 face-to-face.
The appeasement card
At the end, the two leaders made a joint statement, without making an announcement on the sensitive subject of visas, they seemed to be playing the appeasement card. As if the diplomatic quarrel had fallen into oblivion.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who favored the Arabic language to express himself, speaks of fruitful, frank talks and is optimistic for the future. “I can only appreciate the encouraging results of your visit to Algeria. This makes it possible to outline promising prospects for the enhancement of the exceptional partnership which unites our two countries”, he declared.
Same enthusiasm with Emmanuel Macron: “I want to see in this moment a new page being written in the bilateral relationship. And so I want to thank you, President, for your friendship, your frankness and above all for the shared ambition.”
Only one notable announcement
But no concrete progress has yet been made on the central question of visas and consular passes. The tenant of the Élysée returning this subject following the visit. “Several elements will be at the heart of our work. First, therefore, clarifying and simplifying our mobility framework. One and the other, and I believe that we have drawn clear lines”, specified the head of the French State.
The only notable announcement at this stage: the creation of a joint commission made up of French and Algerian historians to look at the entire period from the beginning of colonization to the end of the Algerian war.