Sharjah 24 – AFP: French President Emmanuel Macron has "the greatest respect" for Algeria and "regrets" the diplomatic row sparked by his criticism of the country's leadership, his office said Tuesday.

Relations between France and its former colony in North Africa have been strained for much of the six decades since Algeria won its independence after a brutal eight-year war.

After his election in 2017 Macron attempted to change the dynamic by going further than his predecessors in owning up to past French abuses in Algeria.

But relations deteriorated again in October after Macron accused Algeria's "political-military system" of rewriting the history of the independence war to foment "hatred towards France."

In the remarks made during a meeting with descendants of people who fought in the war, which were reported by Le Monde daily, Macron also questioned whether Algeria had really existed as a nation before the French colonisation in the 1800s.

"The President of the Republic regrets the controversies and misunderstandings caused by the reported remarks," a senior presidential official, who asked not to be named, told reporters.

The aide added that Macron "has the greatest respect for the Algerian nation and its history and for Algeria's sovereignty."

Algeria had reacted furiously to Macron's remarks in October, as well as to its decision a month earlier to sharply reduce the number of visas it grants to citizens of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Algiers recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military planes from its airspace, which French pilots regularly cross en route to counter-terrorism operations in West Africa.

Macron has attempted to mend fences with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, calling on him to engage in dialogue and inviting him to a conference in Paris on Friday on the future of Libya, which neighbours Algeria.

Last week, the Algerian leader warned however that he would not "make the first move" to ease tensions with Paris.