French President Emmanuel Macron is slated to visit Algeria next week in a bid to mend strained ties between Paris and Algiers, the Elysee Palace said on Saturday.
"This trip will contribute to deepening the bilateral relationship looking to the future... to reinforce Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional challenges and to continue the work of addressing the past," the French presidency said, following a phone call between Macron and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The relations between Paris and Algiers took a dive last year after the French president allegedly questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion and accused its "political-military system" of rewriting history and inciting "hatred towards France." In response, Algeria recalled its envoy to France, citing "inadmissible" remarks attributed to Macron.
Algeria gained its independence from France following an eight-year war, which ended with the singing of the 1962 Evian Accords that granted Algeria the right to self-determination. Shortly thereafter, 99.7% of Algerians voted for independence.