French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting would-be Olympic break-dancers Saturday and visited an Algerian record store celebrated by a famous DJ, a feel-good interlude during a trip to Algeria dominated by delicate diplomacy.

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Both stops were seen as part of Macron relying on young people to pitch Franco-Algerian relations forward after decades of tensions over colonial-era wrongs and related disputes since Algeria’s hard-won independence in 1962.

The French leader visited Disco Maghreb, an iconic record store In the western Algerian city of Oran and a recording label for artists who perform traditional Rai music. Franco-Algerian artist DJ Snake has helped bring attention to Disco Maghreb and Rai rhythms.

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Macron is also viewing a performance by Algerian break-dancers who hope to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where breakdancing is making its debut as an Olympic sport.

Macron is expected to wrap up his three-day trip to Algeria later Saturday by signing a joint declaration with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

On Friday, Macron promised France would become more flexible in issuing visas to citizens of Algeria after a major diplomatic crisis between the two countries over the issue last year. He and Tebboune also agreed to form a joint commission of historians to examine their countries’ past, from the beginning of French colonization in 1830 to Algeria’s independence.

Economic cooperation is a major part of the trip. Algeria is a key supplier of gas and oil to Europe, and Russia’s war in Ukraine has reinforced the North African nation’s role as European countries seek alternatives to Russian energy.

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Macron’s office said he would also raise human rights concerns. Algeria has seen a creeping crackdown on dissent since pro-democracy protests in 2019, and activists criticize a system of governance that views dissidents as criminals and doesn’t allow free speech.