Cairo - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Tuesday stressed Egypt's keenness on boosting relations with the Netherlands, especially in the parliamentary domain. Sisi made the remarks during his meeting with a visiting delegation of the foreign affairs committee of the Dutch parliament. President Sisi asserted that the delegation's visit is a chance to get to know the real situation in Egypt and in the region amid joint challenges and threats that affect the Middle East and Europe, presidential spokesman Alaa Yousef said. The president also stressed the importance of accurate understanding of the roots of such challenges and of evaluating the situation in the region through a perspective that takes into account the variant circumstances and internal and regional challenges. "Such challenges are not limited to terrorism but also include the challenge to achieve a holistic development," Sisi said, pointing to efforts exerted by the government to carry out a comprehensive program of economic reform with the aim of luring investments and increasing the growth. For their part, the delegation members said that their visit to Egypt was an opportunity to get acquainted with the development process in the country and the nature of the internal and external challenges. They also voiced appreciation for Egypt's pivotal role in achieving stability in the Middle East and countering terrorism that poses a threat to the whole world. In this regard, President Sisi called for concerting international efforts to face terrorism through a comprehensive approach, stressing that the Egyptians are determined to defeat terrorism despite the high cost they incur. "While Egypt is handling such major challenges of combating terrorism and achieving economic development, it is keen on promoting the values of citizenship, respect for the Other and human rights," Sisi said.
