Cairo, Sep 15 (IANS): France is willing to help Egypt solve its debt problems and attract foreign investments, said visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Egypt.

Colonna made the remarks on Thursday in a joint press conference in the capital Cairo with her Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Xinhua news agency reported.

France is aware of the difficult economic conditions Egypt is going through and is willing to help Cairo in its talks with international financial institutions, the French Foreign Minister told reporters.

Egypt's foreign debt reached $165.3 billion by the end of March 2023, registering a 4.8-per cent increase from the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of Egypt.

Colonna said France will work on finding better solutions to Egypt's debt problem and smoother international finance to support the Egyptian economy.

"We would also like to work on increasing foreign investments in Egypt," she added.

Earlier on Thursday, Colonna held talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on bilateral relations and a number of regional crises, according to the Egyptian presidency.