President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives prime ministers of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in Cairo. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
According to the Egyptian Presidency, El-Sisi held a meeting with the heads of the Benelux group, Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, Dutch PM, Dick Schoof, and Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, who affirmed that no stability in the Middle East can be achieved without Egypt.
They also praised President El-Sisi’s wise leadership, which brought stability to Egypt.
Addressing developments in Gaza, the president emphasised to Benelux leaders that the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement must be fully implemented to halt the war in the strip.
He further urged increasing the volume of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as taking all necessary measures to consolidate the ceasefire.
Moreover, El-Sisi called for ensuring that any upcoming UN Security Council resolution clearly states the obligations of all parties, while incorporating relevant elements that guarantee the resolution’s effectiveness.
The two sides also agreed on the need to implement the two-state solution as the only path to achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Furthermore, both sides agreed on the importance of coordinating efforts to end the war in Sudan and restoring stability there.
According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi and the leaders of the Benelux countries also addressed the water issue as an integral part of Egypt’s national security.
They emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation between Egypt and the Benelux countries in this area, particularly with the Netherlands.
During the meeting, President El-Sisi emphasised the importance of the cooperation between Egypt, the Benelux bloc, and Europe in general on the issue of migration.
He explained that Egypt has consistently refused to establish camps for its approximately 9.5 million refugee population.
Moreover, the president emphasised that addressing irregular migration requires tackling its root causes by supporting efforts to resolve crises and restore stability in migrant-exporting countries.
On the other hand, El-Sisi affirmed the strong relations between Egypt and the Benelux countries, expressing Cairo’s aspiration to enhance investment flows from the group, especially in new and renewable energy and green hydrogen.
He thanked the three leaders for attending the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), noting the warm reception he received during his recent visit to Brussels for the first Egypt-EU Summit.
In return, the Benelux leaders affirmed that Egypt represents a key partner for the bloc. They also stated that their governments were willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt in various areas, including the recovery of smuggled Egyptian antiquities.
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