Arnaut Mentbourg: “Algeria should forget the colonial past for the development of relationships with Paris”

Montbourg, who visited Algeria at the invitation of “Forum of heads of institutions”, and was received by the Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal, said; “It is time to turn the page on the colonial past, which would help Algeria and France to strengthen the bonds of economic convergence.”

Leader of the French Socialist Party, who has Algerian origins, did not speak about the position of Abdelmalek Sellal, on this issue, which has long poisoned the Algerian-French relationships, due to the persistence of Paris in the glorification of its colonial army in Algeria, but he said that the meeting was an opportunity to discuss ways of establishing an industrial French-Algerian alliance, that will not be in one direction, like what is currently happening.

Commenting on this statement, the former Secretary General of the National Organization for the Children of Martyrs and the head of the party “New Dawn”, Tahar Benbaibache, told Echorouk, on Friday, that the French party is asked to get rid of the colonial past, and contempt for everything that is Algerian.”

“If the French are keen to develop relationships with Algeria, they just should get rid of the colonial crimes past in Algeria, and this can only be done by offering an apology to the Algerian people.” This was echoed by many Algerian politicians in power and opposition, and did not receive a response.