Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with the head of France's General Directorate for Internal Security in Cairo on Monday to discuss regional issues and cooperation between Egypt and France, according to an official statement. The meeting with Laurent Nunez was attended by Egypt's acting chief of intelligence Abbas Kamel, El-Sisi's spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. El-Sisi conveyed his greetings to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, stressing the strength and depth of Egyptian-French relations and the importance of strengthening the ongoing cooperation between the two countries on all levels, including security and intelligence. He also hailed the ongoing coordination and consultation between the two countries on regional and international issues of common interest, as well as counter-terrorism efforts, which reflect the depth of partnership between Egypt and France. Nunez expressed his country's appreciation of the close cooperation and historic relations enjoyed by the two countries, Rady said. He also affirmed his country's keenness to maintain the level of coordination with the Egyptian side on challenges facing the two countries, especially in light of the regional situation in the Middle East, praising Cairo's pivotal role in strengthening security and stability in the region and in its efforts to achieve political settlements to the current crises. Rady said the two men discussed a number of issues related to bilateral relations and ways of developing aspects of cooperation between Egypt and France, as well as developments related to regional issues and combining international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
