Egypt will purchase two French Mistral helicopter carriers that France had initially intended to sell to Russia after agreeing terms with France after a month of official talks.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and his counterpart Francois Hollande agreed on terms of the deal, according to a statement from the French presidency.
The presidents discussed, in a phone call on Tuesday, ways of advancing the distinct relations that bind Egypt and France and their peoples, “which have recently witnessed progress in various areas,” according to an Egyptian presidency statement.
In August, Hollande and Al-Sisi discussed Egypt’s possible acquisition of the two helicopter carriers on the sidelines of an inauguration ceremony for an expansion of the Suez Canal.
The relations between the two countries saw a strong improvement since the election of Al-Sisi, as a number of significant arms deals were sealed in the past months.
