Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aati left Belgium heading to Strasbourg, France, after his quick visit to Brussels to strengthen Egyptian-European relations. He met with the President of the European Council and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The Egyptian Embassy in Brussels said in a statement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs held important meetings during his visit to Brussels… Meeting with the Prime Minister of Belgium, political consultations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, meeting with the President of the European Council, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in addition to meetings with major Belgian companies investing in Egypt and symbols of the Egyptian community... Today, Tuesday, a visit to the headquarters of the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg begins to meet with various political groups and rapporteurs concerned with following up on the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership with Egypt and the second support package for the Egyptian economy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the heads of major Belgian companies in various fields of economic cooperation and presented investment opportunities in a secure climate in Egypt. His Excellency was also keen to meet with members of the Egyptian community in Belgium, and the meeting lasted more than two and a half hours. Regarding the details of the meeting, Nasser Suleiman, one of the community leaders who attended the meeting, said, "The minister conveyed the current scene of what is happening in the Arab region and the future vision for Egypt and the Middle East. Abdel-Ati said that Egypt is capable of protecting its borders and that the pressures that Egypt is facing are unprecedented throughout the ages, and that these pressures have negatively affected the national income. For example, the Red Sea region and the Houthi group cost Egypt $600 million per month from the income of the Suez Canal, and despite all of this, Egypt is steadfast. He also explained the Egyptian-Syrian position and the terrorist movements coming from Syria heading to Libya to pressure Egypt from the West, and that Egypt is keen to protect its lands and that Egypt is a country with weight in the region and that our armed forces are ready to confront under the wise leadership and that Egypt will not be drawn into any of the entanglements. Regarding the position on the Palestinian issue, he said that Egypt is the first and permanent partner in reaching an agreement to cease fire and a truce between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Regarding Egyptians abroad, he stressed the importance of facilitating their treatment. The consulate to ease the burden on them to extract their papers. The modern digitization system has come into effect and has already started working in five countries with successful results and will soon be implemented in all embassies. He also stressed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's keenness to care for Egyptians abroad and their ideas towards the motherland by presenting their ideas and presenting them to him personally and connecting them to the motherland and benefiting from their experiences and supporting them and constantly communicating with the embassies and opening channels and communication through them. He reassured everyone that Egypt is safe and has strong relations with the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa and that Egypt is a country with weight in the region and that Egypt's security is part of the security of the Arab region under its wise leadership.