Egyptian-French ties boosted

Visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed that the Egyptian-French ties witnessed a boost over the past three years at the political, military and economic levels.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Sisi described France "as a key and prominent partner to Egypt."

The president said Egypt has eased rules regulating work of French companies in Egypt due to their considerable experience.

Sisi expected that Cairo-Paris cooperation would unprecedentedly be given momentum in the coming period. 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi underlined the importance of pooling efforts up to rectify erroneous interpretations of religious teachings which are manipulated to justify for violence and terrorism.

Sisi asserted that renewing religious discourse is a prerequisite for disseminating the upright teachings of Islam which call for forgiveness, highlighting the role of al Azhar in this regard.
Asked about the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt, the president wondered if there is any spring, especially with regard to Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

He said the Egyptians staged two revolutions in two years and toppled two presidents, therefore people’s will is a power that should not be underestimated.

He added that the Egyptians are ready to offer more sacrifices to protect their nation and identity. 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said that 30 million Egyptians took to street in 2013 to call for the resignation of ex-president Mohamed Morsi.

He said the state has old and strong institutions capable of absorbing the impact of revolutions which represent people’s will.

He said the army has a sole goal which is protecting people and the nation away from any clannish considerations.

The president cautioned of the ideology of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group and those who adopted it to assume power.

He said all terrorist groups whatever their titles are; Hasm, Qaeda, Daesh or Boko Haram, adopt the same ideology aiming at destroying the whole world not only Arab states. 
Asked if Egypt is gearing up for a long-term war against terrorism, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said all extremists fleeing from Syria and Iraq will try to access Libya to be their haven and, hence, orchestrate snap attacks on Egypt as well as African and European states.

He exhorted all world countries to buttress cooperation in the face of terrorism, citing the killing of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya at the hands of terrorists in 2015.

He called for drawing a line between religion and politics, referring to the failure of this mechanism in Afghanistan and Somalia. 
As for Egypt’s role in the Palestinian reconciliation and means of clinching a final Palestinian-Israeli settlement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said the Palestinian cause tops the Egyptian foreign policy priorities.

The president highlighted the strenuous efforts exerted by Egypt to secure a final agreement on the two-state solution in a way that protects the Palestinians’ rights and realizes peace and stability in the region.

He said the four-month efforts exerted by Egypt fructified into a Fatah-Hamas deal under which the two movements pledged to form a national unity government to rule the Gaza Strip on December 1.

Under the deal, the unity government will be in charge of all border crossings in the enclave, he said.

He added that the Egyptian efforts are meant to improve the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. 
As for the Syrian crisis, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said the only way for ending the Syrian crisis is reaching a political settlement that maintains the Arab state’s unity.

He said Egypt backs the French initiative for forming a contact group involving all key players to put an end to the Syrian stalemate.

He said Egypt, like France, believes that the departure of Syrian President Bashar al Assad is not a precondition to spearhead political action to end the Syrian impasse.

He said Egypt gives top priority to improving the humanitarian conditions in Syria, adding that the Syrians should not be left prey for terrorist groups. 
Despite of the economic and security challenges, Egypt received more than 500,000 Syrian refugees over the past six years, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said.

He said the refugees were not placed in makeshift camps, they, however, enjoy all rights of the Egyptians vis-à-vis education and health.

A large number of Syrians got involved in the Egyptian economic and social life, he said, blaming the western media for not shedding light on this.

As for the Libyan issue, Sisi said the Libyan file is vital for Egypt, underscoring the historical, social and political relations binding Egypt and Libya.

Sisi said a political agreement among all Libyan parties forms the basis for a comprehensive settlement, adding that a recession in terror organizations’ activities and the progress realized by the national Libyan army would pave the ground for achieving stability in the Arab state and spearheading reconstruction projects.

Sisi said Egypt backs the international community and the United Nations to clinch a comprehensive political settlement before the end of the transitional period on December 17.

He noted that there is a high-level coordination with France visi-a-vis the Libyan file.

He said the ongoing efforts under the aegis of the UN will secure an all–out political framework stemming bloodshed of the Libyans and giving the Libyans a chance to rebuild a strong state. 
Sisi said the Egyptian government seeks to develop a modern economy based on productive investments in addition to upgrading the infrastructure, including roads, electricity, schools, etc.

He added that taxes on small companies were reduced to ditch grey economy, noting that the Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed in 2016 contributed to improving the tax collection process and curbing inflation rates within the coming months.

He said the Egyptian population reached 100 million, adding that the ongoing mammoth national projects, such as the Suez Canal economic zone and the new Administrative Capital, would create jobs.

He noted that French companies are playing a pivotal role in the development process, citing France’s contribution to the Cairo Metro.

Sisi said he is looking forward that French companies would boost their investments in Egypt.

As for criticism of human rights in Egypt, Sisi underlined the importance of respecting human rights as one of key ways for countering terrorism.

He stressed that securing a better life for Egyptians is a top priority, noting that economic and social rights are the bedrock of decent life.

The president said Egypt seeks to realize a balance between citizens’ rights and duties on one hand and security challenges in combating terror on the other hand.

Source: MENA