Egyptian president holds meetings on fringe of EEDC

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a number of meetings Friday night on the sidelines of the Egyptian Economic Development Conference.
Sisi met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who stressed Rome's full support for Egyptian efforts to revive the economy, said presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef.
The president also met with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who voiced his country's commitment to supporting comprehensive development efforts in Egypt, which is the cornerstone of stability in the Middle East, Youssef said.
He added that Sisi also met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Sisi told her that the pan-European body is a strategic partner of Egypt, Youssef said. Mogherini, for her part, said the EU will continue to support development plans in Egypt, the spokesman added.
In his meeting with Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Suma Chakrabarti, Sisi reviewed measures taken by the Egyptian government to achieve economic reform, Youssef said.
Both Lagard and Chakrabarti were pleased with decisions made by the Egyptian government to give the national economy a shot in the arm, he added.