Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority Chief meets with French Ambassador to Cairo

CAIRO – 25 March 2024: Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie met, Sunday, with French Ambassador to Cairo Eric Chevalier to discuss ways of joint cooperation in Ismailia Governorate.

It is the first official visit of Ambassador Chevalier to the Suez Canal Authority after assuming his duties as Ambassador of France in Cairo, according to a statement released by the SCA.

Both sides addressed the joined cooperation and efforts exerted to enhance economic and cultural rapprochement between the two countries, the statement added.

Rabie spoke about that the SCA’s an ambitious strategy for development by adopting a package of projects based on the localization of the industry of building various marine units. He also tackled the development of new maritime services to meet the requirements of passing ships, in addition to the development of its yacht marinas in the canal cities.

Admiral Osama Rabie appreciated the French efforts in supporting the Suez Canal Museum with a group of collections through the Association of the Friends of Ferdinand de Lesseps, which represents a model of French-Egyptian cultural cooperation.

For his part, Ambassador Eric Chevalier, the French ambassador to Cairo, stressed his country's keenness to activate cooperation and joint coordination with the Suez Canal Authority, given the special importance that the canal represents as an essential link to serve the global trade movement between East and West, and a main pillar for strengthening Egyptian-French relations.

The French ambassador explained that joint cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority comes at the top of his priorities during the coming period as part of efforts to enhance French-Egyptian cooperation.

He also expressed his hope that the situation in the Red Sea region would stabiliz, stressing the importance of the Suez Canal for French maritime shipping trade, and the keenness of the French shipping line CMA CGM to continue transit through the Suez Canal.