CAIRO – Personal Representative of the President to the G20 and BRICS and Assistant Foreign Minister Ragy El-Etreby discussed with Ludovic Pouille, the Director for Economic Diplomacy at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, coordination between Egypt and France regarding advancing constructive ideas and proposals in international forums which address development issues and challenges facing developing countries, including middle-income nations such as Egypt.
This came during a session of talks held by both officials to review prospects for cooperation between Egypt and France on international economic issues of mutual priority, where they agreed on the need for enhancing collaboration within the frameworks of the G20 and G7.
The president’s personal representative expressed the Egyptian government’s hope for the G7, during France’s presidency of the group next year, to achieve greater convergence in viewpoints between development partners on one side and developing countries on the other. This includes challenges related to food and energy security, international trade rules, supply chains, maritime navigation and climate change.
Furthermore, the discussions between the two sides addressed the need to rectify the growing imbalances in the global financial system, particularly with regard to enhancing development financing tools and appropriate mechanisms to manage debt crises. They both agreed that these issues are especially critical in light of the current global context marked by unprecedented geopolitical and trade tensions and a noticeable decline in levels of international cooperation and trust in global institutions.
Etreby stated that the discussions reflected a shared understanding between the two parties on the importance of working jointly on all these issues. This cooperation will also extend to Egypt’s participation in G20 meetings and summits, he pointed out.
According to him, the meeting with Pouille came within the context of the continuing positive development of relations between Egypt and France across various fields, building on the significant outcomes of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Egypt last April, during which both countries agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership.
