Darmanin: “President Macron Is “Very Attached” To The Relationship With Algeria”

The French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, highlighted Sunday in Algiers the “ongoing” cooperation between Algeria and France in terms of the fight against terrorism, noting that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, remained “very attached” to the relationship between the two countries.

“The President of the French Republic is very attached to the relationship between France and Algeria, between our two States and our two peoples,” he said. I have come to tell the Algerian Interior Minister once again the perfect collaboration of France on all the issues that will concern our two ministries,” he told the press at the end of his talks with the Minister of Interior, Local Assemblies and Town Planning, Kamel Beldjoud.

The French minister underlined the “ongoing” cooperation with Algeria, particularly in terms of security and the fight against terrorism, adding that he had raised the subjects of the struggle  against terrorism, the fight against illegal emigration and security cooperation.

“We have raised the major issues that concern the great Algerian power here in the Mediterranean, especially the Libyan issue, the question of illegal emigration that Algeria is experiencing and to which we must respond, because we have population movements throughout this space that we share,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Beldjoud said he had discussed with his French counterpart the “distinguished” bilateral relations and ways and means of improving them, adding that he had addressed the issues of illegal immigration, relations between the two sectors including civil protection, vocational training and exchanges between the different structures of the two ministerial departments.

“Overall, our visions were convergent on all the subjects we discussed. We will work to further consolidate our relations,” he also noted.

The visiting French interior minister was also received by Prime minister Abdelaziz Djerad.

Gerald Darmanin arrived, on Saturday evening, at Houari Boumediene Airport, of Algiers where he was  greeted by the Chief of the Office of the Minister of Interior, Local Assemblies and Town Planning, Ayache Houari.