French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who is currently in Egypt, met with youth groups on Sunday. French ambassador to Cairo Jean Félix-Paganon also attended.
It is Juppe's first visit to Egypt since he took over the foreign ministry, succeeding Michèle Alliot-Marie who resigned on 27 February after only weeks in office. During her term the image of France's foreign policy was damaged due to her handling of many issues, particularly the current unrest in the Middle East.
Media reports said Juppe is visiting Egypt in an attempt to restore French diplomatic credibility after a series of failures eroded French citizens' trust in their country’s foreign policy.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy said earlier that Paris should offer support to Tunisia and Egypt as they move towards democracy. He also said moves in Egypt and Tunisia have historical dimensions
