French consul in Alexandria: Countering terrorism not domestic issue of one country

Nabil Haglawy, the new Consul General of France in Alexandria, said Monday that terrorism has become a world concern that entails integration between southern and northern Mediterranean countries to combat. 
Countering terrorism is not a domestic file of one country, Haglawy told MENA, noting that terrorism arms are in many countries.
The recent terrorist attacks have proved the importance of future integration between southern and northern Mediterranean countries, Haglawy said.
All parties should work together on one agenda to eliminate terrorism, he stressed.
The diplomat reiterated statements by French President Francois Hollande in which he said that France could not alone eliminate terrorism and that all UN members should unite to fight it.
France will not change its open-to-life and open-to-the-Other approach, Haglawy said, noting that this is the French government's message to terrorists following the recent attacks in Paris that left about 130 people dead.
Haglawy was speaking at a reception organized by the French Consulate at the end of the Heritage Days in Alexandria.
The terrorist attacks in Paris or Sharm el Sheikh cannot be seen as domestic problems, the diplomat said. France had voiced support for Egypt in its war against terrorism long before the Paris attacks, he reminded.
The rule of law is a guarantee for all French citizens that their freedoms and personal beliefs will not be attacked, Haglawy assured.
Paris is not solely French, he said, noting that all nationalities, including Muslim Arabs, are there. There is not an area in France whose residents are purely French, said Haglawy, who is of Arab origin himself. It is a multi-ethnic nation, he noted.
Having arrived in France, French of foreign origin first started small businesses then assumed top posts, the consul said, noting some of them are now ambassadors and ministers.
There is no such thing as minority exclusion in France, Haglawy said, stressing all are treated as citizens.
Commenting on recent calls in France to tighten the grip on the influx of refugees, the diplomat said those are allowed as part of the freedom of expression that is also governed by law.
Haglawy, who only assumed his post as consul general in Alexandria three months ago, said he could sense an Alexandrian passion for the French language and culture.
He talked about French cultural activities at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and a number of universities in Egypt, plus the French cultural center. According to Haglawy, this reflects strong relations between France and Egypt.
Many Alexandrians have sent flowers in a show of solidarity with the French people in the wake of the Paris attacks, Haglawy said.
He hailed as "prosperous" economic ties between Paris and Cairo. French companies have, over the past two years, been showing bigger interest in the Egyptian market, the diplomat said.
About 190 French and Egyptian businesspeople met last month at the French Consulate in Alexandria to discuss boosting investment and trade relations, Haglawy added.

Source: MENA.