Sisi receives CEO of Dassault Group for aeronautical industries

CAIRO – 23 October 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received the CEO of Dassault Group for aeronautical industries at his residence in Paris on Monday.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received on Monday the CEO of Dassault Group for aeronautical industries - File photo

This meeting came as part of his visit to France, where he will discuss bilateral cooperation, in addition to mutual regional and international concerns during a four-day official visit.
Sisi will meet with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Elysee Palace on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in economics, military, education, travel and counterterrorism.


Egyptian Rafale fighter aircraft by Dassault Aviation - File photo

Sisi will also meet with a number of French businessmen to boost economic cooperation with the French, since France is the biggest investor in Egypt, with €3.5 billion ($4.1 billion) worth of investments, and the seventh biggest exporter to Egypt. Additionally, there are 160 French corporations operating on Egyptian soil, employing more than 30,000 Egyptians in all fields.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received on Monday the CEO of Dassault Group for aeronautical industries - File photo

Sisi will also hold a number of meetings with the head of the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), the head of the French Senate, and Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.
Sisi’s visit is the first official one to the Elysee Palace since Macron took office, and it is his third to France. In November 2014, the Egyptian president paid an official visit for three days, during which he met with former President François Hollande. In November 2015, President Sisi attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, in Paris.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received on Monday the CEO of Dassault Group for aeronautical industries - File photo

France has close trade and military relations with Egypt. French companies have 160 subsidiaries in Egypt, employing more than 30,000 people and operating in key sectors of the Egyptian economy, such as electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, distribution, hydrocarbon exploitation, tourism and infrastructure.
In the military field, several major export contracts have been concluded, including the sale of four Corvette ships by DCNS (May 2014), 24 Rafale fighter aircrafts by Dassault Aviation, a multi-mission frigate by DCNS and weapon systems by MBDA (February 2015).


Egyptian Rafale fighter aircraft by Dassault Aviation - File photo

In October 2015, France agreed to sell two Mistral helicopter carriers to Egypt for €950 million, after their sale to Russia was canceled in August 2015.