France and Egypt sign strategic partnership to boost stability

President of France Emmanuel Macron and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed a strategic partnership agreement on Monday, April 7th.

According to Reuters, the agreement covers the areas of health, transport, and energy, as the French president seeks to promote stability in Egypt amid an increasingly volatile region.

While sitting alongside Egypt’s Prime Minister at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Macron expressed, “Egypt is a strategic partner for our country.” He emphasized that this partnership is being strongly backed by France, adding, “I would thus like to reaffirm France’s commitment to ensuring the stability of Egypt given the context of a worsening climate.”

This “worsening climate” refers to regional instability, which in recent weeks has included Egypt’s cautious steps toward supporting the new regime in Syria following the fall of Assad. Fears of growing Turkish influence in the region and concerns that revolutionary sentiment could spread into Cairo have driven both Egypt and France to reinforce Egypt’s stability.

As part of the bilateral agreement, both nations jointly called for an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages, again reflecting Egypt’s concerns over the deteriorating regional environment.

The agreement also demonstrates Macron’s continued support for talks between Egypt, the European Commission, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF has maintained a strong relationship with Egypt, having agreed at staff level in December 2024 to a potential disbursement of $1.2 billion under its Extended Fund Facility arrangement.

Macron has further supported Egypt’s development in transport, health, water, and energy, with France’s overseas development agency committing 260 million euros in funding.

As Egypt seeks to navigate increasing regional hostilities, Macron’s support signals a clear European endorsement of Egypt’s position.

Reuters, Maghrebi.org