Off the wire
• Hamas armed wing condemns closure of Twitter account  • Flood kills 23 people in W. Afghanistan  • Singaporean leaders send condolences over Kumamoto quake in Japan  • Roundup: Japan accepts U.S. offer of airborne support as search and rescue continues in quake-ravaged areas  • Thailand water festival sees 25,516 treated for road injuries and rising death poll  • Dubai, China join hands in traditional Chinese medicine research  • AU troops mistakenly kill 4 civilians in S. Somalia  • China securities regulator calls for more investor protection  • Weather forecast for world cities -- April 17  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- April 17  
You are here: 　 Home

UPDATE: French president visits Egypt to boost cooperation

Xinhua, April 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

French President Francios Hollande is going to kick off his three-day visit to Egypt on Sunday afternoon, according to the state news agency MENA.

The French president is on a three-nation tour in the Middle East, which has taken him to Lebanon. He will also visit Jordan after his trip to Egypt.

"The visit reflects a mutual desire to further boost firm ties to a more distinguished level," the presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said. "The visit will also provide an opportunity to promote cooperation with France in all fields, particularly in economy.

"A meeting will be held between the two leaders for issues of mutual concern" said Youssef, adding that "after a joint news conference, a number of agreements will be signed."

In 2015, the trade exchange between Cairo and Paris was about 2.93 billion U.S. dollars. About 140 French firms are now operating in Egypt, the spokesman said.

Hollande, a strong ally of Sisi, is coming with a delegation comprising more than 60 businessmen and heads of major French companies to sign an expansive arms deal and 25 agreements and MOUs that cover cooperation in renewable energy, urban planning, transport, culture and technical training, according to state-run Ahram online news service.

During their discussions, both leaders are also expected to tackle regional issues, on top of them is the Syrian conflict and the plight of millions of Syrian refugees.

The stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process might also be on the agenda of Sisi and his French counterpart.

Hollande has previously called for holding an international conference to push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. His envoy for the peace process was in Cairo a few days ago, but failed as yet to formulate a clear proposal on what needs to be done to allow for the peace conference. Endit