Egypt's Mufti Shawqi Allam met on Wednesday with a number of officials at the French Foreign Ministry as part of his first visit to France that will run for four days.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Roman Nadal said Allan met with representatives of the French cabinet and interior ministry as well as members of the Egyptian-French Friendship Association and lawmakers.

Nadal said France has well-established relations with the Egyptian religious institutions that are based on trust, asserting that contacts are sustained to combat extremism and prepare preachers to convey a good image about Islam.