Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Belgium, Luxembourg, the institutions of the European Union and NATO, met with Mr. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, in charge of setting European internal market policies and digitizing the economy and the space file within the European Union, where Abdel-Aty reviewed the steady progress that The relations between Egypt and the European Union have been witnessing in recent years. The ambassador also discussed the most prominent features of the ongoing modernization and development process in the economy and investment sectors, and the establishment of the Supreme Investment Council headed by the President of the Republic, with the aim of creating a climate conducive to investment, which contributes to more attractiveness to European companies.
Abdel-Aty reviewed the developments of the energy sector in Egypt, and the expansion of reliance on clean and green energy. He also highlighted the state’s efforts in the field of digitization in terms of expanding the establishment of new and smart cities, including the new administrative capital, as well as the state’s plan to extend fiber optic lines throughout Republic and support for distance education initiatives, and Abdel-Aty noted Egypt's hosting of the African Space Agency, alongside the Egyptian Space Agency.
For his part, the European commissioner for the internal market welcomed the ongoing development process in Egypt, pointing out that Egypt is an important partner for the European Union in several areas, most notably trade and energy. The European Commissioner expressed his welcome to enhance cooperation with Egypt in the fields of digitization as well as space science with Egypt and Africa through European training programs and capacity-building programs directed at Egyptian and African cadres in these fields.