LONDON: French President Emmanuel Macron praised Egypt鈥檚 role in resolving the Libyan crisis during a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday.
Macron said Paris was keen to continue intensive cooperation with Cairo on Libya, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.
The French president said he appreciated the prominent political weight Egypt holds in the Arab world, Africa and the Mediterranean, and that this had positive repercussions on joint cooperation between the two countries to reach political settlements to existing crises, said Bassam Rady, spokesman for the Egyptian president.
Rady said Macron praised the 鈥渧ital Egyptian role in resolving the Libyan crisis, and President El-Sisi鈥檚 efforts, which strengthened the political track to solve the Libyan issue.鈥�
El-Sisi affirmed Egypt鈥檚 efforts to support the new temporary executive authority in Libya in various bilateral, regional and international forums. He called for mercenaries to immediately leave Libya and for the halt of foreign interference in Libyan affairs that contribute to fueling the crisis.
The two presidents also agreed on the importance of intensifying joint efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel region 鈥渋n addition to the challenge that the phenomenon of terrorism poses to regional security as a whole.鈥�
The call also dealt with developments over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The French president said he hoped a solution would be reached between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan that would achieve the interests of all three parties as soon as possible.
They also reviewed the close ties that bind France and Egypt, and ways to strengthen them in various other fields.