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Sarkozy starts North Africa tour Sarkozy starts North Africa tour
(about 3 hours later)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is beginning a two-day visit to North Africa, taking in Algeria and Tunisia. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived in Algeria, the first stop on a two-day visit to North Africa.
It is his first trip outside Europe since he came to office in May. He has postponed a planned visit to Morocco.It is his first trip outside Europe since he came to office in May. He has postponed a planned visit to Morocco.
Mr Sarkozy is to have lunch with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika before flying to Tunisia where he will meet President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
He is expected to discuss an idea for a Mediterranean union between southern European and North African countries.He is expected to discuss an idea for a Mediterranean union between southern European and North African countries.
Mr Sarkozy said such a union would improve co-operation in areas like security, economic development, energy policy and immigration.Mr Sarkozy said such a union would improve co-operation in areas like security, economic development, energy policy and immigration.
On a visit to Algeria last November, when he was interior minister, he announced that visa procedures for Algerians would be speeded up in 15 European countries. He told Algerian newspapers that France had decided on "an ambitious roadmap" of investment, energy and trade proposals and said the country was "very open" on increasing arms sales to Algeria, Reuters reports.
He said the 15 Schengen zone countries would no longer consult each other before issuing visas to Algerians. But in interviews with the French language El Watan and Arabic El Khabar newspapers, Mr Sarkozy defended France's longstanding reluctance to apologise for its colonial past in North Africa.
Every year, thousands of Africans make desperate attempts to cross the Mediterranean and enter Europe. Algeria's younger generations are "looking to the future and not fixated on the past," Mr Sarkozy said.
The new president's scheduled visit to Morocco was put back until October, officially because of timetable difficulties, although one report suggests that the North African kingdom was slightly offended that Mr Sarkozy planned to squeeze in a visit to Rabat for only a few hours after his trip to Algiers and Tunis. "They do not want their leaders to put everything on hold and engage in self-flagellation for the mistakes or mis-steps of the past," he added.
More than 1.5 million Algerians died during the country's war for independence from France which ended in 1962.