Egypt on Tuesday urged the Netherlands to increase its investment in the country and stressed the importance of protecting its water security on the Nile River, during political consultations between the two countries' foreign ministers in Cairo. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Dutch counterpart, David van Weel, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and to exchange views on regional and international developments. Abdelatty invited the Dutch side to invest in Egypt, taking advantage of the available opportunities and numerous investment incentives, especially in the new economic zones and major national projects, as well as in renewable energy. He noted that the Netherlands was the second-largest foreign investor in Egypt in 2024. On the issue of water security, the foreign minister stressed the importance of cooperation in accordance with international law to preserve the interests of all Nile Basin countries and affirmed the rejection of unilateral actions that violate international law in the eastern Nile Basin. Abdelatty also praised the fruitful bilateral cooperation in other fields, such as water management and migration, which was crowned by the high-level dialogue on migration held in Cairo in July 2025. He also welcomed the joint efforts that resulted in the recovery of a number of smuggled Egyptian antiquities. During the meeting, the foreign minister stressed the importance of providing the necessary protection for Egyptian diplomatic missions in the Netherlands, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The two ministers discussed a number of regional issues of common interest, led by the Palestinian cause. Abdelatty briefed his Dutch counterpart on Egypt's intensive efforts to end the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, including the recent hosting of indirect meetings between Hamas and Israeli delegations in connection with the proposal announced by US President Trump. He also stressed the need for concerted European and international efforts to pressure Israel not to obstruct the entry of humanitarian aid, given the "catastrophic" humanitarian situation inside the Strip, which has reached the point of famine. For his part, the Dutch foreign minister praised the close relations between his country and Egypt and affirmed his commitment to fully securing the diplomatic missions located on its territory, rejecting any transgressions in front of foreign embassies in the Netherlands, including the Egyptian embassy in The Hague.
