Egypt’s Sisi Meets with Business Leaders on 3rd Day in France

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
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Egypt’s Sisi Meets with Business Leaders on 3rd Day in France

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi met Wednesday with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on the third day of his official visit to France.

Sisi also met with a dozen business leader before heading back to his residence in Paris to receive the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD.)

Several French companies, including oil giant Total and underground metro operator RATP, were hoping to secure future deals.

Sisi’s visit is focusing on economic cooperation and the fight against extremism.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian president held talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. They discussed the crisis in Libya, Egypt's chaotic North African neighbor, and the war in Syria.

The anti-terrorism file was strongly present in the talks between the Egyptian delegation and French officials.

France has reaffirmed its support to Egypt as a key country to stabilize the troubled region.

Macron was keen to emphasize the “common battle” between Paris and Cairo, noting that France “stands by Egypt because the security of this country is also our security.”

Sisi, for his part, stressed that terrorism was the biggest challenge facing growth and development in his country.



Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced he intends to visit Tehran through a letter he addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Mehr Agency reported that Grossi sent a congratulatory message to the Iranian president-elect, which stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your election win as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the focal attention of the international circles for many years. I am confident that, together, we will be able to make decisive progress on this crucial matter.”

“To that effect, I wish to express my readiness to travel to Iran to meet with you at the earliest convenience,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Grossi as saying.

The meeting – should it take place - will be the first for Pezeshkian, who had pledged during his election campaign to be open to the West to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Last week, American and Israeli officials told the Axios news site that Washington sent a secret warning to Tehran last month regarding its fears of Iranian research and development activities that might be used to produce nuclear weapons.

In May, Grossi expressed his dissatisfaction with the course of the talks he held over two days in Iran in an effort to resolve outstanding matters.

Since the death of the former Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the IAEA chief refrained from raising the Iranian nuclear file, while European sources said that Tehran had asked to “freeze discussions” until the internal situation was arranged and a new president was elected.