President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi’s visit to France, which took place from 6 to 9 December, bore a host of momentous results. In my opinion, it was a significant visit in the history of Egyptian-French relations and proof of the development of bilateral relations that can be built on to open new horizons for cooperation between the two countries.
The focus here is not the impact of the visit or its emphasis on the genuine partnership and development of bilateral relations. These issues were previously and substantially tackled.
Rather, this article traces the role of the Egyptian political leadership and its ability to take the relationship with France to such strategic levels. President Al-Sisi’s visit to France has invoked a set of questions, such as:
1. How can the character of the Egyptian president contribute to building a better relationship with France?
2. How can the political leadership receive this large amount of respect and appreciation? This was evident in the warm welcome President Al-Sisi during received during his meetings in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron decorated President Al-Sisi with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest accolade.
3. How can President Al-Sisi clearly translate the words “business visit” into an action plan, and how can his agenda be extremely busy with so many meetings with high-profile figures such as the French President, French ministers, the French Prime Minister, the French Senate President, and the heads of the world’s largest companies?
4. How can the Egyptian political leadership consider so many issues and succeed in reaching consensus with France over issues of mutual concern, especially in the Middle East?
5. How can the Egyptian political leadership convince the French leadership not only of the integrity of the Egyptian position on most of the issues discussed, but also on issues in which they have different views, while not leaving a negative impact on the strategic relations between the two countries?
6. How can the Egyptian leadership demonstrate the Egyptian position smoothly, clearly and persuasively regarding one of the thorniest issues that some countries are trying to use as a tool to pressure Egypt, which is the human rights issue?
7. How can the Egyptian leadership tackle subjects of particular sensitivity and succeed in making the Egyptian position a high profile, especially in the cases of freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, the offensive cartoons and the relationship between religious and human values?
8. How can the political leadership emphasize Egypt’s position at the regional and international levels and attract an influential country such as France and make it keen on developing its relations with Egypt, and even keen on pushing the Egyptian role to contribute effectively to settling and solving the most important crises that the region suffers from?
To answer these questions, it can be easily said that President Al-Sisi has a number of great personal traits that make up his distinguished personality, such as: credibility, frankness, transparency, clarity, spontaneity, faith, truthfulness, and self-confidence.
In this regard, I must pay tribute to what President Al-Sisi stated during the press conference with President Macron in reply to a question from Radio France on the human rights issue. President Al-Sisi said, addressing the French President: “We have nothing to fear or be embarrassed about.”
This reply is very smart as it assures the fact that Egypt’s domestic and foreign policy is based on honourable principles. These principles are clearly stated to the entire world without unnecessary commotion.
It is also necessary to point out that the Egyptian political leadership is a national leadership fit for the grandeur of the Egyptian state. It is a leadership that is close to its citizens, and that feels their demands and needs, that can express the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and that is keen, day after day, to provide better living conditions for the Egyptian citizen.
The most important feature of President Al-Sisi is his great appreciation of the Egyptian people, and his emphasis on every occasion that this great nation is the biggest supporter of the policies of the leadership. That fact was the main reason for the success of the economic reform program that the world has witnessed its positive results.
Towards the end of the joint press conference in Paris, President Al-Sisi wholeheartedly said, “We are a nation that strives to build the future of its people amid very cruel circumstances in a highly-turbulent region.”
In my opinion, these words expressed the feelings of the president as well as those of the Egyptian people. I believe these words have emphasized the following four points:
- The main concern of the political leadership is to build a better future for the Egyptian people. Domestic and foreign efforts are directed towards this end, no matter the challenges.
- Egypt is a peaceful country that does not initiate attacks. It is mainly interested in peace, stability, security, and prosperity with all countries.
- Egypt is determined to continue its reform process and to rebuild the country, and it will not stop at any desperate attempts by internal or external forces to disrupt the successful path of reform.
- As Egypt moves toward development, it will not stand idle in the face of attempts that threaten its national security, and it will always be able to firmly and decisively confront any threats.
