Egypt has “secretly” signed a deal with France for the purchase of 30 Rafale fighter jets, according to survey website Disclose, which claims the deal is worth $ 4.5 billion. The news was confirmed by the Egyptian Ministry of Defence on May 4.

The Egyptian Ministry of Defence said the deal would be funded through a loan that will be repaid over a period of at least 10 years, but did not provide details on the value or details of the deal.

Citing confidential documents, Disclose said the deal was entered into in late April and finalized when the Egyptian delegation arrived in Paris on May 4th.  

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It is recalled that in 2015 France and Egypt signed a contract for the supply of 24 Rafale fighter jets to the Egyptian Air Force. In addition to these 24 Rafale fighters, the deal included two Mistral-class amphibious ships originally built for Russia. In addition, Govind-2500 class corvettes are built with a French license in the shipyards of Alexandria.

The Egypt – France military agreements are not only a way to increase the influence and trade of military equipment, but also to strengthen Egypt’s position against Turkey. Similarly, Paris indirectly wants to oppose Ankara’s plans in North Africa.

Egypt and France enjoy an increasingly close relationship under the leadership of former General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as they share common interests in the Middle East and maintain the same reservations about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“I think it is more effective to have a policy of dialogue than a policy of boycott that would reduce the effectiveness of one of our partners in the fight against terrorism and in favour of regional stability,” said Emmanuel Macron.

With information from: Disclose.ngo

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