Dutch Foreign Minister visits Cairo | News Article

News | March 22, 2023 | 14:35

The Deputy Minister held bilateral consultations with Egyptian Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Ihab Nasr, and was attended by delegations from both countries. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen the partnership between Egypt and the Netherlands in various areas, especially trade relations, migrant cooperation, human rights, gender, water management and regional issues.

In the area of ​​economic and trade relations, both sides agreed to address any barriers that may impede investment and cooperation. Egypt and the Netherlands have been cooperating for over 40 years, especially in the area of ​​water. Climate issues are becoming more pressing than just sustainable energy, including green hydrogen. Given Egypt’s special geographic location and the fact that green hydrogen is a key component of the energy transition, both sides expressed their ambition to explore ways to cooperate on this. Other potential areas of cooperation such as ICT, agriculture, shipping and port development were also discussed.

The Deputy Minister thanked Egypt from the Netherlands for hosting a large number of refugees and vulnerable migrants and for its efforts to combat illegal immigration. , will be continued with the next round of bilateral migration dialogue with the visit of the Special Envoy for Migration, technical missions in various thematic areas, followed by the Kingdom’s Minister of Immigration. Dutch.

The Netherlands appreciates the efforts to implement the National Human Rights Strategy, which started in September 2021, and looks forward to continuing its support in the implementation process. Additionally, the Netherlands called for the importance of independent media platforms and the safety of journalists. Both sides agreed to focus on themes that could enhance cooperation. At the same time, the Deputy Minister stressed that this should go hand in hand with a transparent and open dialogue that allows even sensitive topics to be discussed. The importance of women’s rights and gender equality remains a priority for both countries.

In addition, both sides touched on many regional development issues such as Libya, Syria, GERD and African issues. The Deputy Minister praised Egypt’s constructive role in the Middle East peace process. Finally, the Deputy Minister expressed concern over the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, which has also created serious global challenges, such as the current food and energy crises, and the need to address these issues through strong joint efforts. emphasized.

After political consultations, the Deputy Minister visited Al-Azhar, where he met with the Grand Imam’s deputy, Dr. Mohamed El-Duweini, to talk about religious freedom and the importance of religious freedom and respect for religion. bottom.