Algerian Radio
The President of the France-Algeria Association, Ségolène Royal, praised the new direction of bilateral relations between the two countries, in light of several data and historical milestones such as the events of May 8, 1945.
In a statement broadcast by media outlets on Sunday evening, Ms. Royal called on the French side to "stop setting conditions" and speaking in terms of power balances, affirming that "we must speak on equal footing with this great country, Algeria."
Ms. Royal referred to the Pope's recent visit to Algeria, saying that it "played a very important role" in the current French direction, highlighting specifically "the way the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received His Holiness the Pope, as well as the way the Pope spoke about the Algerian people and Algeria's history, where he mentioned, at the Maqam al-Shahid, the date of May 8 and the massacres that took place during that period."
From this standpoint, Ms. Royal expressed her certainty that this visit "made the French authorities rethink this issue."
She continued: "This leads me to say that we cannot be the only ones who continue to deliver unacceptable speeches against Algeria and its leaders, so I am the first to congratulate myself on this positive development."
From the same perspective, the President of the France-Algeria Association said that "we must move forward on a number of files that Algeria has been demanding for a long time, particularly the case of a consular employee imprisoned without trial."
The same speaker also affirmed that "the French authorities must review this decision taken under the former Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau," stressing at the same time the need to "move forward in this direction with the aim of resuming bilateral economic relations," within the framework of "a partnership to restore the privileged status between the two countries and to create win-win partnerships within a balanced economic dynamic.
