President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Tuesday with a delegation from the Dutch parliamentary committee for foreign affairs headed by Angelien Eijsink, a presidential statement read. Al-Sisi said he saw an opportunity for the delegation to obtain more awareness on the situation in Egypt and the region through the visit, in light of security and economic challenges. The president "underscored the importance of an accurate understanding of the roots of these challenges and of assessing the situation in the region from a perspective that takes into consideration the different circumstances and nature of the domestic and regional challenges," the presidential statement read. Members of the Dutch parliamentary delegation confirmed that their visit to Egypt comes within the framework of the friendly relations between the two countries and a willingness to advance them towards broader horizons, particularly in light of Egypt's success over the past two years to enforce stability and enhance the efficiency of state institutions. Al-Sisi was elected president in June 2014. Parliamentary elections were completed by December 2015. The meeting further addressed ways to strengthen cooperation across a range of fields and to optimise the benefit from Dutch expertise in numerous areas, including the development of education and improving agricultural and livestock production. Once more, Al-Sisi insisted on the importance of coordinated efforts by the international community to counter terrorism in a comprehensive manner. He pointed out the "dear price" Egyptians are paying in the war against terrorism. This comes as Egypt's North Sinai was just shaken by two Islamic State militant attacks on two police checkpoints at dawn on Monday, leaving eight policemen and one civilian killed, and several injuries.
