Tebboune Discusses His Expected Visited to France with Macron

The Algerian and French presidents in Algeria in August 2022. (Algerian Presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in Algeria in August 2022. (Algerian Presidency)
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Tebboune Discusses His Expected Visited to France with Macron

The Algerian and French presidents in Algeria in August 2022. (Algerian Presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in Algeria in August 2022. (Algerian Presidency)

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has discussed with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron his expected visit to France.
The Algerian presidency said that the two presidents exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the new year.
The state visit of Tebboune to France is "still the subject of preparations", affirmed the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf, specifying that it depends on the settlement of five files.
Attaf listed the issues of memory, mobility, economic cooperation, the French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, as well as the return of symbolic belongings of Emir Abdelkader - the founder of the modern Algerian state.
Ties between France and Algeria have been frosty since the statements made by Macron in October 2021 when he questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before French colonialism.
The fact that French intelligence evacuated Algerian activist Amira Bouraoui from Tunisia to France in 2023 also caused tension in the ties between both countries.
At the beginning of August, Tebboune declared that his state visit to France was "still maintained" but depended "on the program" of the Élysée, specifying that a "state visit has conditions" and "no "It's not a tourist visit."
In August 2022, Macron arrived in Algeria hoping to repair fractured relations with a nation whose oil and gas reserves have new strategic significance because of Europe's looming energy crisis.
Moreover, Tebboune made a phone call with his Tunisian counterpart Kais Saied.
They discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to develop it in all fields, in addition to international and regional issues of mutual interest.
On Sunday evening, the Algerian president promised as he addressed the Algerian people that the year 2024 would be full of achievements.
“We are today bidding farewell to the year 2023, which was rich in achievements and during which our beloved country has made great strides to achieve development in different fields,” said Tebboune.
On this occasion, the President of the Republic called on the Algerians to “continue the efforts, everyone at his level, to raise our country to higher ranks, so that the year 2024 will be full of achievements that will pave the way for our country to position itself among the developed countries.”
Algeria has allocated a budget that exceeds $110 billion for the year 2024. This is the biggest budget in the country’s history.



Israel Clears Landmines Near Golan Heights

An Israeli tank in the Golan Heights. (AFP)
An Israeli tank in the Golan Heights. (AFP)
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Israel Clears Landmines Near Golan Heights

An Israeli tank in the Golan Heights. (AFP)
An Israeli tank in the Golan Heights. (AFP)

Israeli forces have removed landmines and set up new barriers along the occupied Golan Heights border near Syria, signaling a possible expansion of ground operations against Hezbollah, security sources and analysts told Reuters.

At the same time, Israel is strengthening its defenses.

The sources suggest this move could allow Israel to target Hezbollah positions further east on the Lebanese border while creating a buffer zone for better military surveillance and to prevent infiltration.

Reports have mentioned Israel clearing landmines, but sources shared additional details, saying Israel is moving the security fence closer to the Syrian side and digging more fortifications.

These sources include a Syrian soldier, a Lebanese security official, and a UN peacekeeping officer.

Any military strikes from the Israeli-occupied Golan or the demilitarized zone could escalate the conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, and its ally Hamas. The fighting has already drawn in Iran and risks involving the United States.

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since the group began launching rockets from Lebanon in support of Hamas, following the group’s attack on southern Israel last year, which sparked the Gaza war.

Along with airstrikes that hit Hezbollah hard last month, the group is also facing Israeli ground attacks from the south and bombardments from the Mediterranean.

Expanding operations eastward could help Israel cut off Hezbollah’s weapon supply routes, some of which pass through Syria and Iran, its key backers.

Nawar Shaban, a researcher at the Istanbul-based Harmoon Center, said Israel’s operations in the Golan Heights seem to be preparations for a broader attack in Lebanon.

Everything happening in Syria is aimed at supporting Israel’s strategy in Lebanon—disrupting Hezbollah’s supply routes, depots, and key individuals, according to Shaban.

A Syrian intelligence officer, a soldier in southern Syria, and three senior Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Israel’s mine-clearing and other engineering efforts have sped up in recent weeks.