Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty praised on Wednesday the strong ties between Egypt and Belgium, expressing hope for expanding cooperation, particularly in economic, investment, educational, and healthcare sectors. He encouraged Belgian companies, especially those in clean energy and pharmaceuticals, to take advantage of EU-backed investment guarantees under the strategic partnership with Egypt. During his meeting with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot on the sidelines of the Africa-EU ministerial meeting in Brussels, Abdel-Aty urged Belgium to include Egypt in its economic missions. He highlighted Egypt's economic reforms and investment incentives, proposing trilateral cooperation for joint capacity-building projects in Africa. He also called for enhanced migration cooperation, including legal and seasonal labour channels. Abdel-Aty stressed Egypt's commitment to recovering artefacts smuggled out of the country, in line with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's directives, and voiced hope for cooperation with Belgian authorities in this regard. The minister reviewed Egypt's support efforts for Gaza and welcomed Belgium's assistance to Palestinians, calling for greater aid to match the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Strip. Both sides exchanged views on developments in Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and the Red Sea. Abdel-Aty underlined the importance of European backing for Egypt in tackling regional challenges, noting the interconnectedness of Middle Eastern and European security. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
