Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to head to Paris for talks with his French counterpart, in his first visit to Europe since he took office almost six months ago. Discussions next Wednesday between El-Sisi and French President Francois Hollande are expected to tackle mutual ties, Frenchforeign ministryspokesman Romain Nadalsaid on Friday. Talks will also address regional issues, namely the peace process in the Middle East and efforts to combat Islamic State militants who have seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq, the spokesman added in comments carried by Egypt's state news agency MENA. Both France and Egypt are part of a US-led coalition which is launching airstrikes against Islamic Statefighters. France took part in the strikes, while Egypt has not officially announced any participation but said it was committed to giving support to the alliance. The visit is part of a four-day tour in Europe during which the Egyptian leader will also land in Italy, and is aimed to "bolster Egyptian-European cooperation, discuss regional and international issues as well as means of fighting terrorism," a spokesman from Egypt's presidency said. El-Sisi was elected president in June, almost a year after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/116100.aspx
