Hisham Ramah
Xavier Driencourt, the former French ambassador to Algeria, said that his country lost much of its presence in favor of Morocco, after it made a losing bet on Algeria, as its relations with the Kingdom deteriorated in a way that calls for review and work to overcome the shortcomings.
According to the ambassador, who headed French diplomacy in Algeria for eight years, Morocco achieved a great precedent in confronting Algeria, referring to the honorable kingdom’s revival of its relations with Israel, and stressing that the front line includes Rabat, Tel Aviv and Washington in the face of Algeria, which is supported by Moscow.
In his interview with “Causeur” magazine, the French ambassador touched on the Moroccan-French relations, stressing that they had deteriorated after the latter bet on Algeria, with which relations also deteriorated, to be the biggest loser among the three parties, at the geopolitical level.
According to “Xavier Driencourt”, France’s losing bet on Algeria resulted in a clear failure on two levels. Just as there is coldness and divergence recorded by the honorable kingdom, France does not find any positive response on the part of Algeria, which made the French alone and naked in this tripartite relationship.
The French ambassador believes that France can once again play an active role in the Maghreb region, but this is conditional on changing its approach and method of work, noting that what is needed is to rebuild perceptions and positions in a “pragmatic” and constructive manner based on respect, calling on his country to play a role in bringing Morocco closer. And Algeria.