ALGIERS: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will visit France in June, his office said Sunday, weeks after a diplomatic spat over a French-Algerian activist.
The visit had initially been due to take place in May, but was pushed back to June following a phone call between Tebboune and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the Algerian presidency said.
During those talks, Tebboune and Macron discussed “ways of bolstering bilateral relations” between the two countries and the upcoming visit due to take place in the second half of June.
A statement from Macron’s office said the French president and Tebboune agreed to pursue efforts to ensure that the visit would be a “success.”
In early February, Algeria withdrew its ambassador from France, accusing its former colonial ruler of helping activist Amira Bouraoui flee the North African country.
The French-Algerian activist had been sentenced to two years in jail for “offending Islam” and insulting the Algerian president.
But Tebboune last month announced that the Algerian envoy would return to Paris, as the two countries sought to patch up relations that have repeatedly seen tensions erupt over the years.
Algerian-French ties fell into crisis in late 2021 after Macron questioned Algeria’s existence as a nation before the French occupation, and accused the government of fomenting “hatred toward France.”
But the two countries mended ties after a visit in August to Algeria by Macron, who signed with Tebboune a joint declaration to relaunch bilateral cooperation.
Algeria was a French colony for 130 years and gained its independence in 1962 after a devastating eight-year war.
French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died during the bloody war for independence, 400,000 of them Algerian. The Algerian authorities say 1.5 million were killed.
Algerian president to visit France in June
https://arab.news/rfqjk
Algerian president to visit France in June
- A statement from Macron’s office said the French president and Tebboune agreed to pursue efforts to ensure that the upcoming visit would be a “success”
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
