France's President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Algeria on Thursday for a three-day visit aimed at mending ties with the former French colony, which this year marked 60 years of independence.
Mr Macron landed at 3.30pm local time at Houari Boumediene Airport, where he was received by his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The two leaders, who wore masks as part of Covid-19 health measures, shook hands and hugged each other at the airport before their countries’ national anthems were played.
After talks with Mr Tebboune at the airport, Mr Macron visited a monument to martyrs of the country's war for independence, which ended more than 130 years of French colonial rule in 1962.
Accompanied by Algeria's top diplomat Ramtane Lamamra, the French president laid a wreath at the site and observed a minute of silence, Algerian state news agency APS reported.
Mr Macron, who will meet entrepreneurs in Algiers as well as young people in Oran, Algeria's second city, is accompanied by a delegation comprising about 90 officials.
His visit comes as Russia's war on Ukraine has caused a gas supply crisis across Europe, increasing the continent's demand for energy supplies from North African producers such as Algeria.
Franco-Algerian relations have experienced repeated crises since independence.
Last year, the two nations got into a diplomatic spat when the French president accused Algerian leaders of “rewriting history” of their independence from colonial rule.
On his second visit to Algeria since he took power in 2017, the French leader “has chosen to direct this visit towards the future, [focusing on] start-ups, innovation, youth, new sectors”, his office said.
Algerian media said Mr Macron's visit showed both countries' desire for relations built on “a new vision based on equal treatment and balance of interests”.
It also reflected “a recognition of Algeria's central role in the region” and the country's “return to the international scene”.
France is home to about four million people of Algerian origin.
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
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Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
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The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
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