President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made an inspection tour of Alexandria yesterday evening, accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of the heads of delegations of the countries taking part in the opening of the new headquarters of Senghor University, as well as Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, the official spokesperson for the Presidency, stated that the two presidents toured the tourist promenade on the Alexandria Corniche, reaching the entrance of the historic Qaitbay Citadel.
The official spokesperson added that the two presidents listened to an explanation of the history of the construction of Qaitbay Citadel, in the presence of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy. They also listened to a detailed presentation on the underwater archaeological excavations of the remains of the Pharos of Alexandria, given by Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed, Chief Inspector of the General Department of Underwater Antiquities at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and Dr. Thomas Faucher, head of the Centre d'Études Alexandrines of the French Ministry of Research, who also reviewed the archaeological and historical treasures recovered from various eras.
He noted that after the tour, President El-Sisi held a dinner in honor of the French President and his accompanying delegation, as well as the heads of delegations of the countries taking part in the opening of the new Senghor University headquarters, where he renewed his welcome to the French President in Egypt, praising the boom in bilateral relations in all fields and expressing his aspiration to continue strengthening cooperation between the two countries in culture, tourism, antiquities and the arts. President El-Sisi also expressed his appreciation to the countries taking part in the opening of the university's new headquarters and their support for efforts to advance scientific and cultural cooperation among member states of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
The official spokesperson explained that the French President, for his part, expressed his deep appreciation for visiting the ancient city of Alexandria, a global beacon of science and culture and a pivotal center for cooperation between Mediterranean countries through the ages, stressing his country's keenness to continue deepening the cultural ties between the friendly Egyptian and French peoples, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, according to the official Presidency spokesperson's page on Facebook.
