After weeks of worsening relations between them, Macron regrets the misunderstanding with Algeria and hopes that Tebboune will participate in the Libya conference

The French presidency said that President Emmanuel Macron regrets the controversy and misunderstanding that has prevailed with Algeria in the recent period, and that he greatly respects the Algerian nation, its history and Algeria's sovereignty.

She added that President Macron wishes President Tebboune to participate in the Libya conference on Friday in Paris.

French-Algerian relations are witnessing tension after statements by President Emmanuel Macron, which were reported by the French newspaper "Le Monde" last October, in which he saw that Algeria was built after its independence in 1962 on a "memory proceeds" devoted by the "political-military regime". He questioned the existence of an Algerian nation before French colonialism, and said that the Algerian "political-military regime" had rewrote the history of the French colonization of Algeria on the basis of "France's hatred".

Algeria protested strongly against these statements, and summoned its ambassador in Paris, and later Algeria closed its airspace to French military aircraft, according to the French army.

On October 5, Macron expressed his hope for a "calm" and said, "I have great respect for the Algerian people and have really friendly relations with President Tebboune."

A few days ago, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that he would not take the "first step" to try to reduce tension with France, after President Emmanuel Macron's statements in which he criticized the Algerian "nation".

In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Tebboune said, "I have no regrets, Macron reopened an old conflict in an unhelpful way."

"If (far right-wing extremist Eric) Zemmour says something like that, it doesn't matter, no one pays attention. But when a head of state declares that Algeria is not a nation in its own right, it is very dangerous."

He added that in these circumstances, "I will not take the first step, or I will lose all Algerians. This has nothing to do with me, but with the whole nation," stressing that "any Algerian citizen will not accept that I communicate with those who insulted us."