Paris: Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi is starting a three-day visit to France, where discussions on economic and military cooperation are expected to be held.
Al Sissi was scheduled to meet on Monday with French Defence Minister Florence Parly and on Tuesday will meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee palace.
The heads of state will also discuss Syria and Iraq.
Al Sissi’s visit to France is the third since he took office in 2014, but the first since Macron was elected president in May this year.
The visit was announced in September by France’s ambassador to Cairo.
In early October, plans for the visit were discussed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, who met in Paris.
European countries support Egyptian authorities in the fight against terrorism. Since 2015, Egypt has concluded several arms deals with France, notably purchasing two French-made, Mistral-class helicopter carriers, 24 French Rafale warplanes and missiles.
