Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Stéphane Séjourné, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdel-Atty.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said the French Minister conveyed French President Emmanuel Macron’s greetings to President El-Sisi. He noted that President Macron had tasked him with undertaking a regional tour to contribute to efforts towards de-escalation and reducing tension. The tour was set to end in Egypt to brief President El-Sisi on the results of France’s efforts in this regard. The French Foreign Minister commended Egypt’s vital role in the joint mediation with Qatar and the United States aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of hostages.

President El-Sisi emphasized the vital need for concerted efforts to seize the opportunity offered by the ongoing negotiations to reach an agreement that would prevent further bloodshed and spare the region from the consequences of further escalation. The President warned that the continuation of the conflict will plunge the region into a severe and relentless cycle of instability. President El-Sisi reiterated the international community's responsibility to exert pressure to reduce escalation and address the root causes of the conflict by establishing a Palestinian state and enforce the two-state solution. The French Foreign Minister agreed with this stance, confirming his country’s full support for these efforts and its commitment to its intensive activities to end the current state of regional tension.

Discussions during the meeting also underscored the robust and solid Egyptian-French strategic partnership and commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across various fields to serve the interests of the two peoples.