ANSAmed - In speaking before the Visegrad group in Budapest, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed that Egypt would not give in to any "orders" from the EU on human rights issues. Egyptian media reported the comments made by the head of state on Tuesday at the summit of the group of countries: Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

President Sisi "told summit leaders: you are dealing with a state that respects itself and fully respects its people" and that "in Egypt there is a power that does not submit to any orders", the independent daily Al Masry al Youm reported. In explicitly addressing "our European friends", President Sisi said that "it is necessary to understand what is happening in Egypt".

"Egypt respects its population and does not submit to any orders," was the headline on both Al Ahram and Al Gomhuria. President Sisi had previously rejected international criticism and denunciations on human rights issues in Egypt.

Last month, taking advantage of the launching of the first "national strategy" on human rights, the former general said that wanting to impose a Western vision of human rights protections in Egypt was "a dictatorial approach".