A busy schedule has been laid before the much anticipated three-day visit by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to France.
This visit is the first since French President Emmanuel Macron took office in May and since Sisi rose to power in Egypt.
Both leaders will meet on Tuesday as a part of a longer framework, which covers the war against terror, the Syria war, Iraq and other developments concerning Libya and Palestine.
Bilateral cooperation involving defense and economic pacts, such as investments, will also be reviewed during the visit.
Sisi and Macron will attend the signing of 17 joint cooperation agreements between the two countries in different fields, including investment and economy.
Egypt has made several purchases of French military hardware in recent years, the most recent of which was a Gowind 2500 corvette naval vessel, which arrived in Alexandria earlier this month. The vessel is one of four such models purchased by Egypt in a deal signed in 2014.
Sisi will also meet with French PM Edouard Philippe and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Sisi is accompanied on his trip by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy, Minister of Planning and Administrative Reform Hala Saeed, Minister of Industry and Commerce Tarek Qabil, Minister of Transportation Hisham Arafat, and the head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Khaled Fawzy.
Great importance rides on Sisi and Macron’s meeting, particularly as international terrorism is growing. France and Egypt had imposed a state of emergency because of terrorist attacks and threats.
Both countries consider the war on terror a “top priority”.
France-based sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Paris is counting on the conference it intends to host before the end of 2017 on countering terrorism and its financing, which Macaron announced in his speech to the French diplomatic corps at the end of August.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Paris and Cairo share a joint concern over the role Libya plays in proliferating terror and radical recruitment.
