LYON (euronews) — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is in France for talks on terrorism, the Libyan conflict and other regional issues amid heavy criticism over the Egyptian leader’s crackdown on dissent.

French authorities see Egypt as a key country in efforts to stabilise the troubled region, and Macron has warned that in the absence of Western support, Egypt could turn to the West’s authoritarian rivals China and Russia.

El-Sissi has said that his tough rule has ensured stability, pointing to war and destruction in Syria, Yemen and Libya as the alternative.

At a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, el-Sissi said:

You cannot present the state of Egypt, with all that it has done for its people and for stability in the region, with it being a dictatorship.