FM receives phone call from Belgian counterpart

Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, received today, Saturday, a phone call from Hajja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, explained that the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed during the call cooperation between the two countries, the immigration file and the file of recovering antiquities smuggled from Egypt, stressing Egypt’s aspiration to enhance academic cooperation between Egyptian universities and their Belgian counterparts within the framework of European Union initiatives.

Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid added that the two ministers discussed developments in the situation in the region, where the Foreign Minister expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the Belgian position in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and was keen to inform his Belgian counterpart of the intensive contacts that Egypt is carrying out with all active regional and international parties around the clock to avoid regional escalation.

For her part, the Belgian Foreign Minister appreciated the important and pivotal role played by Egypt in resolving the Gaza Strip crisis and stopping the regional escalation. She informed the Foreign Minister of the recent call she had with her Israeli counterpart and her call for an immediate ceasefire.

At the end of the call, the two ministers agreed to continue consultation and coordination to discuss ways to find solutions to the various escalating crises, in addition to emphasizing the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries in a way that achieves the interests of the Egyptian and Belgian peoples.