French President Emmanuel Macron has said he hopes the diplomatic tension with Algeria will ease soon.

“My wish is that we can calm things down because I think it is better to talk to one another, and to make progress,” Macron told France Inter radio in an interview.

President Macron said he had “cordial” relations with his Algerian counterpart.

Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris on Saturday and closed its airspace to French military planes a day later after the French president made comments about the northern Africa country.

President Macron was quoted as saying the former French colony was ruled by a “political-military system” with an official history that was based not on truth, but on hatred of France.

The diplomatic spat came days after France cut the number of visas it issues for citizens of Algeria and other North African countries.