French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Egypt on Sunday evening for a high-stakes two-day visit focused primarily on the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, according to the French presidency.
Emmanuel Macron on Sunday in the streets of Cairo © MOFA
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Egypt on Sunday evening for a high-stakes two-day visit focused primarily on the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, according to the French presidency.
Upon landing in Cairo, Macron was scheduled to receive a private tour of the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids. The museum, set to officially open on July 3, will house 100,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt, including the renowned treasures of King Tutankhamun.
On Monday, Macron is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, followed by a trilateral summit alongside King Abdullah II of Jordan. The summit will be dedicated to the deepening crisis in Gaza. "Egypt and Jordan are key partners in resolving the conflict," the Élysée Palace noted.
Beyond the Gaza conflict, Macron’s visit is intended to elevate Franco-Egyptian relations to the level of a “strategic partnership.” A series of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed on Monday covering areas such as transportation, renewable energy, healthcare, and academic cooperation.
In the afternoon, Presidents Macron and Sisi will participate in a closing session of a Franco-Egyptian business forum and tour Cairo’s metro system, which is operated by France’s RATP Group. Macron will also be briefed on the plans for a new campus of the French University in Egypt.
On Tuesday, Macron will travel to Al-Arish in northern Sinai, just 50 kilometers from the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. His visit aims to renew calls for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the urgent reopening of border crossings to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Since March 2, humanitarian deliveries through Rafah have been largely suspended by Israel. The war, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has led to massive displacement of the Gaza population. Virtually the entire enclave is now under siege, with its population living in dire conditions.
Macron’s trip underscores France’s attempt to strike a balance between humanitarian advocacy and geopolitical diplomacy in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
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