Colonialism was a "grave mistake" and a "serious fault" made by the French Republic, French president Emmanuel Macron declared on Saturday during a joint press conference with the president of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara.

"Too often, France is perceived as taking a supremacy stance and to dress itself in the rags of colonialism, which has been a grave mistake, a serious fault of the Republic", Macron said.

He added that he hoped "a new page" of the story could be written.