Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry met with his Spanish counterpart Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the European-Arab Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. February 4, 2019. Press Photo
CAIRO - 4 February 2019: On the sidelines of the European-Arab Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels on Monday, Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry held bilateral meetings with Greek, Belgium, Kuwaiti, Spanish, and Romanian counterparts to discuss development of relations and continuous coordination upon matters of mutual interest.
Belgium
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry met with his Belgium counterpart Didier Reynders on the sidelines of the European-Arab Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. February 4, 2019. Press Photo
In his meeting with Belgium Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Shokry highlighted the political and economic developments in Egypt and measures taken to achieve comprehensive development.
The minister highlighted the importance of encouraging Belgium firms to invest in Egypt and take advantage of the opportunities created by economic reforms accomplished in the country, and that were praised by international financial institutions.
Reynders said that his country is eager to develop ties with Egypt in different sectors lauding the remarkable increase in the number of Belgium tourists visiting Egypt pointing out at the recent 10-day visit by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. The royal couple and their four children visited Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan spending the New Year Eve’s Eve in Aswan.
Reynders listened to Egypt’s vision on the developments taking place in the Middle East, and on international matters of mutual interest, mainly counterterrorism. Shokry asserted the necessity to combat that phenomenon by addressing all security, economic, and intellectual aspects.
Both parties expressed their aspiration to continue consultation upon international and regional affairs of mutual interest. In June, Belgium was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2019-2020.
Greece
During the meeting with Acting Foreign Minister of Greece George Katrougalos, Shokry hailed the great growth of ties with Greece in different sectors, saying that Egypt looked forward to building on the current momentum at all levels, including the tripartite mechanism that also includes Cyprus.
Also, the top Egyptian diplomat pointed to the outcome of the recent Egypt-Greece-Cyprus summit, held in Greek island of Crete in October 2018, calling for making good use of its results in boosting ties in the areas of tourism, investment and energy.
For his part, the acting Greek foreign minister said that his country is keen on cementing cooperation with Egypt in all realms including counterterrorism and illegal migration.
Spain
In his meeting with Spanish counterpart Josep Borrell, Shokry pointed out at the first round of Egyptian-Spanish political consultations that took place in Madrid in December.
Both ministers discussed the potential of developing economic ties between Egypt and Spain, particularly in the tourism sector. Sokry said that Egypt aspired to continue the cooperation with Spain on the international level, and within the United Nations.
On the other hand, Borrel said that his country looked forward to carry on with close coordination with Egypt on the regional scale. He also expressed support to the first Arab-European Summit that will be hosted by Egypt later this month. The Spanish minister listened to the Egyptian vision on Middle East affairs.
Romania
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry met with his Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleșcanu on the sidelines of the European-Arab Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. February 4, 2019. Press Photo
In his meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleșcanu, Shokry hailed the growth of trade and economic ties between both countries as the volume of trade exchange had hit $1 billion in 2018, and flights to Sharm al-Sheikh and Hurghada had more than doubled.
Meleșcanu expressed his aspiration to increase cooperation with Egypt in different sectors, and his country’s support to the upcoming summit. Both ministers expressed their appreciation for the mutual cooperation within the European Union upon matters of mutual interest.
CAIRO - 4 February 2019: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry affirmed on Monday the importance of capitalizing on the mutual interests between the Arab World and Europe, and developing cooperation in alignment with historic ties.
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