It is far from being a won bet as, despite the stated will, enormous obstacles exist. Obstacles that the Joint Commission of historians is trying to clear, whose work has already begun with the holding of several meetings both in Algeria and in France.
Algerian-French relations are certainly at the dawn of new perspectives. Perspectives that will be clarified shortly. Indeed, the visit that the French Minister of Foreign Affairs is preparing to make to Algeria is of crucial importance since it constitutes an important step in relations between the two countries.
This next visit, which was announced by the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, but whose date has not been set, is therefore awaited with great interest on both sides of the Mediterranean. A visit should allow us to first stop to assess the state of relations before, then, being able to plan for the future.
Between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries, it will thus be an opportunity to address all the issues, even those which are angry because, between the two partners, certain questions remain unresolved and deserve, on both sides, clarifications and adjustments The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed, during his recent meeting with the national press, that “there is no problem in French Algerian relations”, recalling that “a meeting is planned soon with his French counterpart in anticipation of the next bilateral deadlines.”
“Note that the two heads of diplomacy had a telephone exchange on March 20.” During this meeting, the two ministers reviewed “the state of bilateral relations in their different dimensions, as well as the preparation for the next high-level meetings” indicated a press release from the ministry.
In this vein, the preparations for the next visit of the President of the Algerian Republic to France should also be at the center of the talks between the two senior officials. This visit has been announced, as a reminder, for the end of September and the beginning of October next year. But before this visit, Algeria will organize presidential elections, scheduled for September 7. In an interview broadcast on March 30 on national television, President Tebboune confirmed that “the visit of the Algerian President next fall is maintained.”
“ Of course, the visit is being maintained, for several reasons, firstly, it is an event not to be missed in history. This is not a meeting between President Macron and the Algerian President, no,” clarified the Head of State, stressing that relations with France “ need a rebuild without giving up one iota on the Memory file. The heavy issue of memory constitutes one of the most crucial questions in this rebuilding of relations between Algiers and Paris.
It is far from being a won bet as, despite the stated will, enormous obstacles exist. Obstacles that the Joint Commission of Historians is trying to clear, whose work has already begun with the holding of several meetings both in Algeria and in France. In France, powerful lobbies take a dim view of the slightest progress in this matter and apply terrible pressure to abort any solution.
It is not only this issue that is of crucial importance since the question of economic relations is also important. The French are reluctant when it comes to making investments in Algeria.
Furthermore, on the international level, the two parties are not necessarily on the same wavelength and will therefore have to iron out differences and reconcile points of view. This is particularly the case for the question of Western Sahara where France provides full support to Morocco, often in contradiction with international resolutions. Stephane Séjourné, who has already visited Morocco, provided, on behalf of France, full support for Morocco and its thesis of autonomy for the territory of Western Sahara. He should therefore explain this position to the Algerian leaders.
