French President Macron visits Algeria to boost cooperation

French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Algeria for a one-day working visit aimed at boosting the security and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Macron plans to walk the streets of Algiers city center Wednesday before meeting with Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

They will discuss the situation in Algeria's troubled neighbor, Libya, as well as cooperation on the fight against extremism in the Sahel region, according to the French presidency.

Last February, then-presidential candidate Macron raised the topic of France's troubled relationship with former colony Algeria, calling the colonization of Algeria a "crime against humanity".

"I now wish we can look together toward the future, with respect to our history", Macron said in an interview to Algerian daily El Watan.

(AP)