CAIRO — In a visit to Egypt that concluded Jan. 29, French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the political situation in both countries and ways to boost economic cooperation, as well as the regional situation in Libya and Syria. Macron’s first visit to Cairo since he took office mid-2017 coincided with the opening events of the France-Egypt Cultural Year, marking the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal inauguration.

Egypt and France share historical ties in addition to military cooperation such as the Cleopatra naval drill. Since 2015, France has supplied Egypt with advanced weapons like Rafale aircrafts and Mistral aircraft carriers, which raised the ranking of the Egyptian army globally and boosted the economy. French investments in Egypt have reached $5 billion, according to the State Information Service report published Jan. 28, and trade between the two countries was worth $2.2 billion in 2018, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Amro Nassar.

During a joint press conference held Jan. 28, the second day of Macron’s visit, Sisi said that the two sides agreed to beef up trade and investment exchange between the two countries. He underlined the signing of an agreement worth 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) to establish a strategic partnership with the French Development Agency from 2019 to 2023.

Macron indicated during the press conference that his visit to Egypt is a chance to bolster ties with an important partner in the region.