Welcoming Egyptian President Sisi to France Monday, Macron said that defense, including the sale of arms, will not be made conditional on Egypt's human rights record. 

The French president stressed during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, who is accused by non-governmental organizations of violating human rights, "I had the opportunity, as is the case between friends who share trust and frankness, to address the issue of human rights ... I remain a constant advocate of democratic openness and recognition." 

In this regard, he added, "I welcome the announcement on Thursday of the release of three members of a non-governmental organization" imprisoned in Cairo. He explained that he also touched on "the files of other individuals," including Rami Shaath, an Egyptian-Palestinian human rights defender who is married to a Frenchwoman, whose arbitrary detention several NGOs have been condemning for more than a year.

But Macron said, "I will not link our cooperation in the defense and economic fields to these differences," stressing "the sovereignty of peoples," considering that "a policy based on dialogue is more effective than the boycott policy, which will reduce the effectiveness of one of our partners in the fight against terrorism and regional stability."