Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reaffirmed that there is “no alternative” to reviving a political process that leads to an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, grounding his position firmly in international legitimacy and the two-state solution framework.
His remarks came during high-level talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Borg El Arab on Saturday, held on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new campus of Université Senghor in Alexandria. The encounter brought together diplomacy, regional security discussions, and education cooperation in a single high-profile setting.
President Sisi used the meeting to express Egypt’s appreciation for France’s “constructive role” in supporting the Palestinian cause, while also reviewing Cairo’s ongoing efforts to contain regional tensions and prevent further escalation across the Middle East. He warned that continued instability carries serious consequences for global security, supply chains, and trade routes, and reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of any infringement on the sovereignty of Arab states.
The Gaza war featured prominently in the discussions, with the Egyptian president outlining efforts to consolidate a ceasefire agreement and move toward implementing the next phase of arrangements. He stressed the urgency of unrestricted humanitarian aid access into the Strip and called for immediate steps toward early recovery and reconstruction, positioning Egypt as a central mediator in efforts to stabilize the situation.
President Macron, for his part, welcomed his return to Egypt and praised the progress in bilateral relations, noting that ties had been elevated to a strategic partnership during his 2025 visit. He also expressed appreciation for Egypt’s role in regional diplomacy and said France supports efforts to reach a swift political settlement in the Middle East. The French president highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in trade, investment, transport, education, and industry, while also pointing to strong French economic engagement in Egypt and calling for deeper economic integration.
The meeting followed a symbolic moment at the Senghor University campus, where the two leaders appeared together before holding expanded talks between their delegations. The university inauguration itself became a platform for broader messaging on Africa’s development agenda. President Sisi praised France’s continued support for francophone institutions and stressed Egypt’s role in advancing African capacity-building through education, scholarships, and technical cooperation.
He described the university as a long-standing academic pillar that has trained generations of African leaders, expanding beyond traditional education into governance, resource management, and critical development areas such as water security, food systems, and climate adaptation. According to President Sisi, this broader mission reflects the growing need to convert Africa’s development challenges into opportunities through stronger institutional preparation.
President Macron echoed that sentiment, saying universities will play a decisive role in shaping the future, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and language technologies. He also thanked Egypt for hosting the new campus in Alexandria and praised the diversity and vitality of the Senghor academic community, which serves thousands of students across the African continent.
The Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie also commended Egypt’s role, describing the inauguration as evidence of the country’s stability and its central position within the francophone world.
Taken together, the event reflected a convergence of diplomacy and development: Egypt and France reinforcing a strategic partnership, advancing African education initiatives, and coordinating positions on urgent regional crises particularly the future of Palestine and the broader stability of the Middle East.
