French Amb. to Cairo: Our relations with Egypt enter a new chapter of development, innovation

CAIRO - 23 June 2026: French Ambassador to Cairo, Eric Chevallier, affirmed that Egyptian-French relations are experiencing an exceptional phase of fruitful cooperation.

 

He emphasized that the partnership between the two countries is not merely political, but a deep and enduring development partnership spanning two decades.

 

This came during a celebration organized by the French Embassy to mark 20 years of the French Development Agency's presence in Egypt.

 

The event was attended by ministers, Véronique, the agency's Regional Executive Director, the advisor responsible for French citizens residing abroad, and a host of partners, colleagues, and friends.

 

Ambassador Chevallier explained that the presence of partners today embodies a shared conviction that French-Egyptian cooperation for mutual prosperity is a vital, essential, and future-oriented relationship. He noted that the recent visit of the French President to Alexandria last May underscored the strength of these historical and strategic ties, particularly in a regional context where dialogue and stability have become imperative.

 

The Ambassador noted that the French Development Agency (AFD) Group occupies a crucial position as a key player within Team France. Since 2006, it has been Egypt's leading bilateral development partner through its three entities: the AFD, Proparco, and Expertise France. These entities support Egyptian development priorities and reforms through diverse financial instruments and within the framework of Team Europe.

 

Eric Chevalier highlighted the tangible impact of this partnership, which encompasses some 50 ongoing projects.

 

These include projects improving the daily commutes of millions of Egyptians in Cairo, modernizing water and sanitation infrastructure to address water scarcity challenges, supporting the reform of the comprehensive health insurance system benefiting millions of families, supporting the French University in Egypt, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and promoting the professional integration of youth and women, with a particular focus on innovation. He emphasized that these successes are the achievements of the Egyptian partners who have contributed over the past twenty years.

 

In a related context, Ambassador Eric Chevallier announced the opening of a photographic exhibition that tells a "profound human story," documented by photographer Samar Bayoumi and journalist Nouria Tesson.

 

They followed the journeys of people, not just numbers, from the Cairo Metro to the fields of Beni Suef and the streets of Maadi. He emphasized that displaying these works at the French Institute and on the walls of the embassy aims to share the fruits of this collaboration with the public, with plans to extend the exhibition to Alexandria before the end of the year.

 

Ambassador Chevallier concluded his remarks by affirming that the past twenty years are not the end of the journey, but rather the beginning of a new chapter built on an equitable partnership based on investment, innovation, and youth empowerment, in line with the "Africa Forward" summit in Nairobi, which President El-Sisi attended. He also congratulated the new Director General of the group, Christophe Lecourtier, expressing his confidence that his renewed momentum will continue to carry forward the agency's ambitious vision in Egypt, and calling for mutual trust to remain the guiding principle of cooperation in the coming decades.