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| French president arrives in Egypt, business deals in sights | French president arrives in Egypt, business deals in sights |
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| CAIRO — French President Francois Hollande arrived in Egypt Sunday on a visit his hosts say will deepen the “distinct and strong” ties the two nations share, but which is also taking place while Egypt’s image in Europe is being battered over the case of an Italian graduate student kidnapped and tortured to death in Cairo. | CAIRO — French President Francois Hollande arrived in Egypt Sunday on a visit his hosts say will deepen the “distinct and strong” ties the two nations share, but which is also taking place while Egypt’s image in Europe is being battered over the case of an Italian graduate student kidnapped and tortured to death in Cairo. |
| In Egypt as part of a three-nation Middle East tour, the French leader was accompanied by a large business delegation. The two countries are expected to sign accords in the fields of energy, infrastructure and culture, according to an Egyptian presidential statement. | In Egypt as part of a three-nation Middle East tour, the French leader was accompanied by a large business delegation. The two countries are expected to sign accords in the fields of energy, infrastructure and culture, according to an Egyptian presidential statement. |
| Egyptian and French flags as well as poster portraits of Hollande and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi now adorn major roads and thoroughfares in Cairo, a practice that is reserved for key visiting leaders. | Egyptian and French flags as well as poster portraits of Hollande and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi now adorn major roads and thoroughfares in Cairo, a practice that is reserved for key visiting leaders. |
| Live televised footage from the presidential palace in Cairo showed children waving Egyptian and French flags. As Hollande’s car entered the palace grounds, it was flanked by soldiers on horseback carrying flags. | |
| El-Sissi has invested time, energy and travel to mend ties with western Europe after a chilly period over the 2013 ouster by the military, led by el-Sissi at the time, of Egypt’s first elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi. Relations have improved since then, with France and Italy emerging as the Egyptian leader’s strongest EU backers. | |
| Hollande was the most prominent western European head of state present at the ceremony last year marking the inauguration of a major extension to the Suez Canal, a multi-billion dollar project that el-Sissi lists as among his top achievements in his 22 months in office. Egypt has struck a multibillion dollar deal with France to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets and is reportedly finalizing details to buy two Mistral class helicopter carriers. | |
| The two countries coordinate on combatting terrorism and, like Italy, they both have a keen interest in containing a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group in Libya, Egypt’s western neighbor. | The two countries coordinate on combatting terrorism and, like Italy, they both have a keen interest in containing a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group in Libya, Egypt’s western neighbor. |
| Underlining el-Sissi’s reach in Europe, the Egyptian leader received German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel at his Cairo palace just hours before Hollande touched down in Cairo. Gabriel, also the minister of economic affairs and energy, is in Egypt accompanied by a large business delegation. | |
| “Egypt and Europe: Economy defeats politics,” was the banner, front-page headline of Sunday’s independent Al-Masry Al-Youm daily in Cairo. The accompanying article claimed that Egypt’s relations with Europe were progressing economically, “despite political differences and western criticism of Cairo’s human rights record.” | |
| Still, the case of the Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni is likely to linger for some time in the backdrop of Egypt’s dealings with Western Europe, unless those behind his death are brought to justice. | |
| Regeni disappeared in Cairo on Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 uprising and a day when police were out in force to prevent demonstrations marking the occasion. His body, bearing the marks of severe torture, was found nine days later on the side of a suburban Cairo road. | |
| The circumstances of his disappearance, coupled with Egypt’s poor human rights record, have led to suspicions that police were responsible. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, denies involvement. | |
| Italy last week recalled its ambassador in Cairo to protest what Italian officials said was the lack of sufficient cooperation by Egyptian authorities in the investigation. Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni last week said additional measures would be “a signal of dissatisfaction” with Egypt’s cooperation, but any steps would be “proportional” and “without unleashing world wars.” | |
| El-Sissi last week repeated Cairo’s position that the police had nothing to do with Regeni’s killing, but offered no explanation on who might be responsible. | |
| “As soon as the death of that young man was announced, people among us said it was the work of Egyptian security agencies ... what happened is that evil folks in our midst did this,” he said, without elaborating. | |
| Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |