Egypt and Belgium agreed on the importance of developing bilateral relations to serve the two countries' interests, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. This came during a round of video conference political consultations headed by Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Badr Abdel-Ati and Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry Anick Van Calster. The talks probed ways of enhancing bilateral ties at the political and economic levels, especially in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture and maritime transport, as well as the role played by Belgian companies operating in Egypt in supporting the country's economy and benefiting from the investment opportunities available at the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The two countries reviewed the efforts exerted to counter the spread of coronavirus and coexist with it, with both officials asserting the importance of exchanging expertise to face the pandemic's various repercussions. Abdel-Ati affirmed Egypt's keenness to boost cooperation with Belgium and benefit from its expertise in the domains of seaports management, developing lakes, information technology, artificial intelligence, and tourism after overcoming coronavirus. Meanwhile, Van Calster affirmed her country's keenness to promote cooperation with Egypt at all levels and exchange visions on regional and international issues. The Belgian side was posted on the Egyptian viewpoint about a number of regional issues of mutual concern, including the Palestinian cause, terrorism, and illegal immigration. Both countries agreed on the necessity of continuing consultation and coordination on issues of common interest to reach a political settlement for such crises as soon as possible.
