French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope on Tuesday for an early resolution to the ongoing diplomatic tension with Algeria. In an interview with France Inter, Macron stated, "We hope to be able to calm things down because I believe it is better for us to talk to each other and to make progress." He added that he has a "very friendly" relationship with the Algerian president.
Algeria summoned its ambassador in Paris on Saturday after Le Monde reported Macron’s comments that the "military political system" in Algeria had rewritten the history of French colonization based on "hatred of France." The following day, Algeria closed its airspace to French military aircraft, according to the French military. This dispute arises in the wake of tensions last week when France announced it would reduce the number of visas available to citizens from Maghreb countries, prompting Algeria to officially protest.
