PARIS (Sputnik) – Paris and Cairo will sign a deal for the sale of 24 of France’s Rafale fighter aircraft on February 16, Le Monde reported on Thursday.

The sides reached a final agreement on the deal, which is worth 5 billion euros ($6 million), earlier on Thursday, although the talks on the sale of the aircraft started last fall during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi’s visit to Paris.

Egypt has decided to boost its air forces with Rafale fighter jets amid the intense conflict raging across neighboring Libya.

Since the overthrow of long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, a number of militia groups have been involved in a power struggle in Libya. Two de-facto governments are currently operating in the country.