France is keen to develop defence ties with Egypt in the areas of manufacturing, exchanging expertise, and training, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his Egyptian counterpart Sedky Sobhi on Tuesday in Aswan, according to an Egyptian statement.

 

The men discussed bolstering cooperation between the two countries’ militaries, and shared visions of the latest developments in the region and their impacts on security and stability, according to a statement by the Egyptian armed forces.

“Egyptian-French military relations are based on solid foundations of strategic cooperation and partnership at all levels, and coordinating joint positions on topics of interest on the regional and international arenas,” Sobhi said according to the statement.

Le Drian, who arrived in Aswan from France on Tuesday, expressed “his country's appreciation for Egypt's pivotal role in the face of extremism and terrorism.”

Following his Aswan visit, he met with President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi at Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo to discuss strengthening coordination to face common threats, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

El-Sisi reportedly gave the French minister the Order of Merit on Tuesday during their meeting.

In January, Sobhi met with Pierre de Villiers, the French chief of defence staff, in Cairo, where they discussed the latest developments in the region.

Le Drian was last in Egypt in August 2016, when he met with the Egyptian president.

Earlier that month, Egypt raised its flag atop a Mistral-class warship that Cairo bought from France in 2015, one of two sold by France to Egypt.

The contract for the two Mistral aircraft carriers, which was finalised in September 2015, was valued at 950 million euros, according to AFP.

The deal is part of several defence contracts Egypt has signed with France, with the European country now topping the list of countries that have signed military supply agreements with Egypt during El-Sisi’s presidency

Source: Ahram online