Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi met in Cairo on Monday with French Foreign Intelligence Chief Bernard Emie, in the presence of Acting General Intelligence Chief Major General Abbas Kamel. In a statement issued by Egypt’s presidency, Spokesman Bassam Radi said that the two officials discussed the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and means to boost international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. He also said that Sisi extended his greetings to French President Emmanuel Macron, while stressing the “exclusiveness, depth and strength of relations” with France. Sisi also underlined his country’s keenness to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, according to Radi. Emie, for his part, emphasized France’s commitment to continued coordination and consultation with the Egyptian side over different challenges faced by the two countries, especially regional matters. He also praised Egypt’s pivotal role in strengthening security and stability in the region. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that France was considering re-launching an initiative to hold an international peace conference for the Middle East to end the stalemate in the Palestinian file, in wake of the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to deal with the United States as a neutral mediator for the establishment of a two-state solution. On a different note, Cairo received an official invitation from Moscow to attend the Sochi conference on Syria, which is scheduled to be held in Russia at the end of this month, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said. He underlined Egypt’s support for the ongoing negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva, which are based on Resolution 2254, while welcoming any other initiatives on the table as long as they seek to strengthen the same peace process.