Sisi said the French president had brought up the issue during their meeting.
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The French president pointed out that there are already 150 branches of French companies operating in Egypt with 35,000 Egyptian employees, adding that France is Egypt’s sixth largest foreign investor and plans to increase its investments in the country.
Though it is not yet clear who was behind Regeni’s murder, Egypt’s interior ministry was blamed by Italian media for being involved in his torture and death.
President Sisi said bids to undermine the national state in the region have to be countered and work is needed to rebuild fallen states, Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef.
French President Francois Hollande has raised the issue of human rights on his visit to Egypt. The French leader is in the country to witness the signing of several economic agreements but the trip has been overshadowed by claims of Egyptian rights abuses.
“Human rights are not a constraint but also a way to fight against terrorism”, he said.
Germany has no restrictions on the provision of arms to Egypt, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and minister for economic affairs and energy said on Sunday in a press conference following his meeting with the Egyptian president in Cairo.
EGYPTIAN President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has said that “evil forces” are attempting to isolate Egypt and ruin its institutions, stressing that terrorism seeks to destabilise the most populous Arab country.
Last October, Egypt signed a deal with France worth Euro 950 million to buy two Mistral helicopter carriers, which are expected to be delivered between July and September. “Among other things, they damage the image of Egypt”.
As the country split into rival governments and parliaments, the Islamic State group exploited the chaos over the past two years to establish a foothold in the country.
He went straight to the historic Al-Qubbah palace, where his auto, flanked by a cavalry guard, pulled up to a gun salute.
“Egypt and Europe: Economy defeats politics”, was the front-page headline of Sunday’s independent Al-Masry Al-Youm daily in Cairo.
Hollande revisited the topic of human rights on Monday, saying “France has principles and values”. Italy last week recalled its ambassador in Cairo to protest what it said was the lack of sufficient cooperation by Egyptian authorities in the investigation.
President Sisi said Egypt is ready to receive security delegations from friendly and tourist-exporting countries, including France to check on security measures at Egyptian airports and tourist destinations.
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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.
