Description: French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El – Sisi signed a strategic partnership agreement in Cairo, further strengthening ties between the two countries. The partnership would cover areas such as health, transport and development of energy infrastructure. Macron also highlighted that France considered Egypt to be a close ally and supported the country’s continuous negotiations with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the European Commission in improving Egypt’s crumbling economy. The presidents also reaffirmed their support for the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and called for a peaceful resolution to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Impact: France continues to cultivate diplomatic capital on the African continent with reestablishing close ties with countries of interest. Macron is exploiting the decadence of its political opponents on the home front to elevate its profile on the domestic and global scene. Egypt despite facing high inflation and its one of the countries most impacted by Trump’s tariffs, has been directly involved in the mediation process between Hamas and Israel which contributed to the country’s integral role in stability in the Middle East. France would aim at shoring up high levels of soft power influence both on the European and global stage of affairs as it aims to position itself as one of the pivotal countries in desperate geopolitical circumstances on the European continent. Egypt would welcome all and any support from influential countries as it faces mounting pressure from the growing economic crisis and aims at maintaining the prospect of an all-out war in the Middle East at bay.