Algiers (AFP) – Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the Sahel and Libya’s conflict over the phone on Saturday, the Algerian presidency said.
“The call allowed the two presidents to review their bilateral relations, in order to agree to resume contact at the highest level and relaunch cooperation in all areas,” the statement said.
The leaders discussed “regional questions of common interest, in light of the latest developments… (in) the Sahel and Libya,” the statement said.
There was “agreement of viewpoints” on those topics, the statement added.
The call came days before a summit of the so-called G5 Sahel military alliance in Mauritania that seeks to take stock of the fight against jihadists in the Sahel region, where France has deployed over 5,000 troops.
France and Algeria share “common aims in security and the battle against terrorism”, according to Paris.
France and Algeria also share concerns over the situation in Libya, where the influence of Turkey and Russia — who are on opposite sides of the conflict — are growing.
Algeria has in recent months tried to open the way to a political settlement to Libya’s conflict, which threatens regional stability.
Macron and Tebboune also spoke on the phone on June 2.
