Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Monday with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo as part of his multi-day visit to France, which kicked off a day earlier. The meeting touched upon the Egyptian experience in implementing major national projects over the past few years, according to an official statement by the presidency spokesman Bassam Rady. They also discussed cooperation prospects between Paris and Cairo and the new cities across the Egyptian governorates. Hidalgo expressed to President El-Sisi her hope to cooperate with the Egyptian government and Cairo governorate, particularly on the cultural and service fronts, the statement said. The French mayor also noted that the desired cooperation comes in light of "the historical" ties between both countries and her country's eagerness to support Egypt's development efforts through exchanging expertise and investment. El-Sisi highlighted the major national projects currently underway in Egypt, which he said open room of cooperation with regards to new cities, especially the country's New Administrative Capital, a project the country launched in 2015. He also asserted that these projects would strengthen cooperation ties at the economic and trade levels, as well as in the tourism and antiquities sector, referring to the series of new museums launched in Egypt, especially the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest museum. The meeting also dealt with a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern, especially those related to combating terrorism and radical thought. El-Sisi also met with a number of French officials earlier today, including his counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly.
