By Manal Abdel Fattah
Ambassador François Cornier de Elzeus, Belhaika’s ambassador to Cairo, said that his country supports and highly appreciates the tireless efforts made by Egypt to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as facilitating the access of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the Strip through the Rafah crossing.
The Belgian ambassador, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union, added that Belgium supports Egypt’s refusal to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to its lands, stressing that the residents of Gaza must be able to live in the Strip in appropriate conditions, and this is Belgium’s firm political line, which it shares. With Egypt.
Regarding the aid that his country provided to Gaza in light of the humanitarian crisis taking place in the Strip, the ambassador said that Belgium provides great support to UNRWA, amounting to tens of millions of euros annually, and also provides basic needs and humanitarian aid, especially to the health sector, including medicines and medical supplies.
The Belgian ambassador stressed the depth of the relations between his country and Egypt in all fields, which is reflected in the mutual visits between the two sides, referring to the visit made by the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, to Egypt at the end of last November, a visit during which he was accompanied by the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez. They were received by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The Ambassador of Belgium praised the strong economic partnership between the two countries, as Egypt is Belgium’s second trading partner in the Middle East, as well as an important partner for his country in Africa due to its distinguished geographical location, reviewing the many investments of Belgian companies in Egypt.
The ambassador stressed that the coming period will witness more visits by Belgian officials in light of the role played by Egypt in light of the developments taking place in the region.
Regarding the priorities of the current Belgian presidency of the European Union regarding cooperation with Egypt, he said that there is a rich agenda during the Belgian presidency of the Union, which extends for 6 months.
The ambassador indicated that the Partnership Council between the two sides is scheduled to hold a meeting, in addition to signing a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding, all of which are being arranged through the European Commission, stressing that Belgium, as the current president of the Union, supports the efforts of the Commission and the European Council in this regard.
