French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is to meet with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Defence Minister Sedky Sobhy in the next two days.

 

The visiting French minister will sit down with El-Sisi at the presidential palace in Cairo on Tuesday, while his meeting with Sedky will take place upon his arrival Monday, according to Al-Ahram's Arabic news website.

 

Top officials from around the world met on Monday in Paris for the opening of a conference to discuss a strategy to fight against Islamic State jihadists.

 

Earlier on Monday France announced that will join Britain in launching "reconnaissance flights" in support of the US air campaign against Islamic State jihadists, in agreement with Iraqi and Emirati authorities, according to AFP

 

Afterwards, two French Rafale fighter jets took off from Al-Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates, AFP said.

 

For his side, El-Sisi recently said the Egyptian army has not participated in any strikes or operations beyond Egypt's borders, denying all reports in foreign media of Egyptian army units in Saudi Arabia or Libya.

 

Egypt's army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazi met on Monday with the UK's Middle East Adviser at the Ministry of Defence Simon Mayall to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.