Egypt is the most stable Middle Eastern state: Former French FM

CAIRO – 13 April 2018: France’s former Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine stressed that Egypt has been playing a unique regional and cultural roles, adding, “Egypt is the most stable country in the Middle East.”

Védrine remarks were given during the inauguration ceremony of the GIDE Bureau for legal consultation hosted by French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Roumatier at his residence in Cairo; marking it the first international law firm of French origins to open in Egypt.

The inauguration ceremony was held on Thursday and was attended by prominent French public figures and politicians, most notably France’s socialist politician Hubert Védrine who served as secretary-general of the presidency from 1991 to 1995 before taking up office as a foreign minister (1997- 2002). Védrine used to be an advisor at Moelis & Company and a diplomatic advisor of President Mitterrand.

Many French elites attended the ceremony such as Baudouin de Moucheron, Gide Cairo bureau chief, founder of the firm's Istanbul office and former senior partner from 2012 to 2017. Moreover, the team in Cairo attended too, which comprises of mainly Egyptian lawyers working in Arabic, English, French and German.

Egyptian politicians and public figures attended the ceremony as well such as Ziad Bahaa Eddin and former Industry Minister Moneer Fakhri Abdel-Nour.

“Opening the GIDE branch in Egypt reflects the strong ties between Cairo and Paris,” said Roumatier in his speech.

He noted that Egypt’s location at the crossroads between Asia and Africa gives it a significant regional and global hub and represents strategic avenue for development for a number of private and public players.