French President Emmanuel Macron is set to kick off his first official visit to Egypt Sunday where he is expected to meet President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and senior officials.
He will start his visit from the southern city of Aswan where he will visit Pharaonic sites and later depart for Cairo to meet Sisi on Monday.
The two leaders had held a telephone call a week ago to discuss bilateral ties and ways to develop them in all fields.
Sisi and Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli had received earlier this week French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire to discuss cooperation and draft agreements that are expected to be signed between Cairo and Paris during Macrton’s visit.
The deals focus on the automotive, transportation and healthcare sectors.
Egyptian parliament spokesman Salah Hassaballah underlined the significance of the Egyptian-French summit, highlighting the political and strategic ties shared between them.
He also underscored Cairo and Paris’ pivotal role in preserving security and stability in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, pointing to their cooperation in combating terrorism and illegal migration.
Moreover, he said that France was among the greatest foreign investors in Egypt, saying it operates some 160 companies in the country with investments reaching around 4.5 billion euros. The investments cover the agricultural industries, information technology, construction, renewable energy, transportation, banking, aviation and tourism sectors among others.
Macron had hosted Sisi in Paris in October 2017, five months after taking office.
