BY Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers — French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo defended the government’s renewed engagement with Algeria during a heated parliamentary exchange, stressing the resumption of cooperation in defense and security amid heightened instability in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel regions.
Addressing lawmakers in the National Assembly, Rufo stated that France has relaunched security and defense coordination with Algeria following recent high-level contacts, including meetings with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and senior defense officials, notably Army General Said Chanegriha.
She also confirmed that French journalist Christophe Gleizes, detained in Algeria, had received his first consular visit, while reiterating Paris’s intention to secure his return to France “as quickly as possible”.
The minister faced criticism from a deputy over her visit to Algiers and her participation, alongside French Ambassador Stéphane Romatet, in commemorations marking the 8 May 1945 massacres. In response, she defended the diplomatic engagement, highlighting what she described as the restoration of dialogue in defense and security cooperation.
On migration, Rufo said recent visits by French Interior Ministry officials to Algeria had helped restart administrative coordination, noting that consular authorisations, previously at zero, had resumed. She added that both sides intended to continue on this trajectory, describing it as “effective”.
On memory and historical issues, she reiterated that France must confront its own history directly, expressing support for a state that acknowledges both its achievements and its past wrongs. She also emphasised that respecting sovereignty and international law underpins France’s diplomatic posture, stressing that dialogue remains in France’s national interest.
Her remarks come amid signs of a gradual easing in Algeria–France tensions, following recent diplomatic exchanges, the return of the French ambassador to Algiers, and correspondence from President Emmanuel Macron to President Tebboune, indicating renewed momentum in bilateral relations after a period of strain.
— 𝐄𝐍𝐃 —
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