Egypt aspires to develop military ties with France in the upcoming period, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told French Minister of Defence Florence Parly during a meeting in Cairo on Saturday. El-Sisi said that Egypt and France share a deep and solid relationship, praising the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in the military field, according to Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady. El-Sisi stressed the importance of continued coordination and intensive consultation between the two countries over several issues of bilateral interest in the upcoming period. Parly accentuated the importance that France holds to boosting the current partnership with Egypt on all levels, including in security and military, as well as continued coordination on challenges faced by the Middle East. Parly also described Egypt as a main pillar of security and stability in the region. The meeting, which was attended by Egypt's Minister of Defense Sedki Sobhi and French ambassador to Cairo Stephane Roumtier, witnessed an exchange of viewpoints over regional developments as well as ongoing efforts to reach political reconciliations in regional conflicts, especially in Libya. El-Sisi and Parly last met in France in October 2017, where the Egyptian president was on his third official visit to the European country since being sworn into office in 2014, meeting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Egypt has made several purchases of French military hardware in recent years, the most recent of which was a Gowind 2500 Corvette naval vessel, which arrived in Alexandria in October. The vessel is one of four such models purchased by Egypt in a deal signed in 2014.
