Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Wednesday Egyptian-French security and military cooperation with Bernard Emié, the head of France's General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

During the meeting in Cairo, El-Sisi asked the French official to convey his greetings to President Emmanuel Macron, stressing the importance Egypt attaches to strengthening and enhancing strategic cooperation with France in various fields.

Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel attended the meeting.

El-Sisi and Émié exchanged views concerning a number of regional and international issues as part of the security and intelligence cooperation between the two countries, especially concerning counterterrorism and terrorist organisations on the regional and international levels.

El-Sisi highlighted the importance of coordination in efforts to counter radical ideological thought, violence and terrorism as well as to increase pressure on terrorist groups.

El-Sisi also stressed the importance on restoring the role of state institutions in countries in crisis to achieve security and stability in the region.

From his side, Emié expressed France’s appreciation for its strong relations with Egypt and said that it is keen to continuously coordinate on all issues of common interest in the region, whether in Africa or the Middle East.

This, Émié said, is based on Egypt's role as a force of balance for regional security and the effective efforts by El-Sisi to support regional security and stability.

Émié and El-Sisi also discussed the latest developments concerning several issues in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Libya.

The French official also praised Egypt’s positive impact and the red lines declared by El-Sisi in eastern Libya, which contributed to supporting political talks in order to end the crisis in the war-torn country.