French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrives in Algeria looking for 'more cooperation'

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne landed in Algeria on Sunday for a visit aimed at improving ties between the two countries, according to reports.

Borne is joined by a further 16 ministers as her Algerian counterpart Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane welcomed the delegation at the capital’s main airport, AFP reported.

Tensions have been high between Algiers and Paris in recent months, after French President Emmanuel Macron last year questioned Algeria’s existence before a 132-year occupation by France that ended in 1962.

"More cooperation will be a source of growth for our two countries," Borne said on her visit in an interview with news website Tout Sur l'Algerie.

Borne’s trip comes just six weeks after Macron paid Algeria a visit, which also aimed to turn the page on tensions with the North African country.

Macron had proclaimed a "new page" in relations after meeting Tebboune and announcing the creation of a joint commission of historians to examine the colonial period and the devastating eight-year war that ended it.

Macron's desire to fully patch up relations came as Algeria emerged as a key alternative gas supplier to the European Union following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

European nations are seeking to end their dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, giving Algeria - with its pipelines to Spain and Italy - renewed clout and importance.