President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Saturday to discuss military cooperation, according to Presidency Spokesperson Bassem Rady. Egypt's Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi and the French ambassador to Egypt also attended the meeting. During the meeting, Al-Sisi stressed the strength and depth of the Egyptian-French relations, praising the cooperation between the countries in the military field, and expressed hopes to develop this cooperation during the coming period. He also stressed the importance of continuing coordination and intensive consultation between the two countries on issues and challenges of common concern, and the means of dealing with them during the coming period. On her side, the French official stressed the importance attached by France to strengthen existing relations of partnership between the two countries at all levels, including at the military and security levels, as well as the continuous coordination on the challenges facing the Middle East, pointing out that Egypt is a major pillar of regional security and stability. She also affirmed following up on the results of the successful visit of Al-Sisi to Paris last October, which will contribute to enhance the existing cooperation between the two countries. The French minister praised Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism, stressing that her country stands with Egypt facing this common challenge. They further discussed ways to enhance military cooperation between the two countries. They also exchanged views on developments on a number of regional issues and efforts to reach political settlements for the existing crises in the region, especially in Libya.
