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Rabat – France Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is leading a delegation of 16 ministers, representing half of the French cabinet, to visit Algeria.
Converging news reports say that the visit, which began on Sunday, comes as part of the process of “reconciliation” between the two countries.
The reconciliation process comes in the midst of a fuel shortage in France. Several reports warned about the lack of fuel due to striking energy distributors.
“Fuel shortages are hitting petrol stations across France, causing frustration and long waits for motorists as a strike by workers at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil enters its 12th day,” France24 reported.
In 2021, the European country imported 18.1 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas, according to Statista, the majority of which came from Russia and Algeria.
It remains to be seen whether the French delegation’s visit will see energy talks, as France and Europe face a worrying energy crisis this winter.
The visit comes after Emmanuel Macron’s meeting with Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers in August, during which the French president regretted the lack of cooperation between the two countries.
“We have a complex, painful common past. And it has at times prevented us from looking to the future,” the French President said, referencing French colonial rule.
Shortly following his Algiers visit, Macron said he would be visiting Morocco in October, as the kingdom attempts to navigate its own strained relations with the European country.
