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See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Amb. Abu Zeid Affirms: Egyptian–Belgian Relations… A Gateway to Strategic Investment, Global Co-op
Mohamed Wadie Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egypt's Ambassador to Belgium, has confirmed that Egyptian–Belgian relations are entering a new era of strategic depth and opportunity, particularly in the fields of green energy, modern technology, and trade cooperation. In a time of complex global realignments, Egypt is positioning itself as a stable and attractive partner for European investors and policymakers alike. In an interview with Mohamed Wadie, the Editor-in-Chief of SEE News, Ambassador Abu Zeid underlined that Belgian investments in Egypt are experiencing significant growth, notably marked by a landmark €4 billion agreement in the renewable energy and green hydrogen sectors, signed during a recent investment forum. These investments reflect a deepening economic partnership that is further supported by Belgium's strong presence in sectors such as infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and technological innovation. The Ambassador noted that Belgian universities are also home to a growing number of Egyptian students in specialized academic programs, adding a vibrant educational dimension to the bilateral relationship. Moreover, Luxembourg—a close partner in the Benelux region—has become an important player in Egypt's financial services sector, contributing to expanding trade and capital flow between the two sides. According to Abu Zeid, Egypt offers European markets a unique blend of advantages: Strategic geographical proximity to Europe A skilled and competitively priced workforce Modern logistics and infrastructure hubs, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone A stable macroeconomic environment and strong government incentives for foreign investment He emphasized that amid growing challenges across Europe—such as resource shortages and labor gaps—Egypt is emerging as a natural extension of European value chains, capable of providing scalable solutions in energy, supply chains, and production. On Egypt's relationship with the European Union, Ambassador Abu Zeid explained that the EU is actively working to diversify its partnerships globally, as seen in recent diplomatic missions to China, Japan, and South Africa. Egypt, he stressed, was among the first countries in the region to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with the EU, giving it a central role in Europe's policy toward both the Middle East and Africa. Egypt's role, he said, goes beyond economic alignment. It serves as a pillar of regional stability, offering credible diplomatic channels and acting as a reliable partner in energy transition, migration policy, and counterterrorism cooperation. Turning to Egypt's engagement with NATO, Abu Zeid spoke about Egypt's participation in the Mediterranean Dialogue, a cooperative framework that includes seven countries from the southern Mediterranean. Egypt works closely with NATO on capacity building in maritime security, counterterrorism, and irregular migration control. Importantly, he emphasized Egypt's steadfast commitment to balanced diplomacy, steering clear of bloc-based rivalries. 'Egypt does not align with polarized alliances. Instead, we maintain strategic, respectful, and independent relationships with all global powers,' he stated. This non-aligned yet cooperative stance, he added, is widely respected within NATO and among European partners. On the investment front, Belgium currently ranks as Egypt's fifth-largest European investor, with approximately $1.4 billion in capital concentrated in infrastructure, renewable energy, and industrial development. The outlook for 2025 points to further Belgian investments, particularly in automotive manufacturing, agricultural technologies, and clean energy solutions. Ambassador Abu Zeid's message is clear: Egypt is not only open for business — it is ready for partnership. 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Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Public praise, private pressure: How Europe hopes to steer Trump from wider war
THE HAGUE — Whether the United States launches a broader war against Iran after bombing its nuclear facilities may come down to President Trump's meetings with NATO partners this week at a summit of the alliance, a gathering long scheduled in the Netherlands now carrying far higher stakes. So far, Washington's transatlantic partners have praised the U.S. operation, which supplemented an ongoing Israeli campaign targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure, air defenses and military leadership. But European officials told The Times their hope is to pull Trump back from any flirtation with regime change in Iran, a prospect that Trump and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have openly discussed in recent days. Trump is scheduled to arrive in The Hague on Tuesday morning for two days of meetings, now expected to focus on the nascent crisis, as U.S. intelligence and military officials continue to assess the outcome of U.S. strikes over the weekend against Iran's main nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. NATO was directly involved in the last two U.S. wars in the Middle East, taking part in a U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks and helping to train and advise security forces in Iraq. And while not a member of NATO, Israel coordinates with the security bloc through a process called the Mediterranean Dialogue, which includes work against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. At the Mauritshuis on Monday evening, overlooking The Hague's historic court pond and under the gaze of Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring,' NATO officials, European military leaders and U.S. senators discussed the obvious: A summit that had been seen as an opportunity to show Trump that Europe is willing to pay more for its defense — with NATO members now committing to spend 5% of their GDP on military essentials and expenditures — will now be consumed instead with the possibility of a new war. As the event was ending, Iran struck the U.S. military base in Qatar, its largest in the Middle East. But the Iranians gave Doha advance notice of the strike in an effort to avert casualties, the New York Times reported, indicating Tehran might be looking for an off-ramp from continuing escalation with Washington. While the Pentagon said the U.S. bombing run, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, 'severely damaged' Iran's nuclear infrastructure, American and Israeli officials acknowledged to The Times that it is not entirely clear how much equipment and fissile material Tehran was able to salvage before the attacks began. And as concerns emerge that Iran may have been able to preserve a breakout capability, Israel's target list across Iran seemed to broaden on Monday to reflect military ambitions beyond Iran's nuclear program, including the headquarters of the Basij militia and a clock in downtown Tehran counting down to Israel's destruction. 'Trump spoke too soon,' said Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and Iran expert at the American Enterprise Institute, of Trump's declaration that the United States had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear capacity with its weekend strikes. 'We may have simply waited too long with our hand-wringing, and given the Iranians time to evacuate their enriched stockpiles. If so, that represents a failure of leadership,' he added, noting reports that trucks could be seen at the Fordow site leading up to the U.S. attack. 'If they then scattered and the U.S. intelligence community lost track of where they went, then that is an intelligence failure that could potentially be as costly as the one that preceded the Iraq war.' European powers, particularly France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have been careful to praise Trump for ordering the strikes. But they have also urged an immediate return to negotiations, and expressed concern that Israel has begun targeting sites tangential and unrelated to Iran's nuclear program. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning of 'volatility' in the region, encouraged Iran 'to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.' And Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, questioned whether Tehran's nuclear knowledge could be bombed away. 'No one thinks it's a good thing to keep fighting,' he told local media. 'I called for deescalation and for Iran to exercise the utmost restraint in this dangerous context, to allow a return to diplomacy,' said French President Emmanuel Macron. 'Engaging in dialogue and securing a clear commitment from Iran to renounce nuclear weapons are essential to avoid the worst for the entire region. There is no alternative.' Later Monday, after Israel had struck Iran's notorious Evin prison, where foreign nationals are held, France's foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, issued a more scathing rebuke. 'All strikes must now stop,' he said. One European official said that efforts would be made once Trump arrives to underscore his military successes, noting the example he has made — using military force to deter an authoritarian foe — could still be applied to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Now that Trump has demonstrated peace through strength, the official said, it is time to give diplomacy another chance. But it's unclear if Iran would be receptive to pleas for a diplomatic breakthrough. In a post on X on Sunday, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, noted that Israel's attacks last week and the U.S. strikes this week coincided with negotiations, torpedoing any chance for talks to succeed. 'Last week, we were in negotiations with the U.S. when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/E.U. when the U.S. decided to blow up that diplomacy,' he wrote, adding that calls to European calls to bring Iran to negotiations were misplaced. The E3 represents France, Germany and Italy. 'How can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?' he added. On Monday, before its strikes against the U.S. base in Qatar, Iranian military leaders vowed vengeance against the United States for the strikes. The retaliation 'will impose severe, regret-inducing, and unpredictable consequences on you,' said Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, head of the Iranian military's central command headquarters, in a video statement on Iranian broadcaster Press TV. He added that the U.S. attack 'will expand the range of legitimate and diverse targets for Iran's armed forces.' Times staff writer Nabih Bulos, in Beirut, contributed to this report.
Arab News
08-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Indian FM starts week-long EU trip in new cooperation push
NEW DELHI: India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has embarked on Sunday a week-long trip for talks with the top diplomats of the EU, France and Belgium in a new push for cooperation with Europe, his office said. Jaishankar is set to meet his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot, and 'will be holding a Strategic Dialogue with the EU High Representative and Vice President Ms. Kaja Kallas, and will engage with the senior leadership from the European Commission and the European Parliament,' the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. 'The visit of EAM is expected to further deepen India's friendly relations with the European Union, France and Belgium and give renewed momentum to ongoing cooperation in diverse areas.' The foreign minister will also inaugurate the first edition of the Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue in Marseille. The Raisina Dialogue is a premier multilateral conference on geopolitics and geo-economics held annually in New Delhi and organized by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs. The dialogue in Marseille 'is a new initiative involving both government and non-government officials from both from India and various parts of the world to converge and talk about issues pertaining to the Mediterranean,' Prof. Harsh V. Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation, told Arab News. During EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's New Delhi visit in February, India and the EU committed to conclude negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement in December. During last week's talks in Paris, nearly half the agenda — covering areas like customs, trade facilitation, rules of origin, and intellectual property — has been agreed on. 'The partnership between India and France, and India and the EU continues to evolve dramatically,' Pant said, adding that Jaishankar's trip is also about conveying 'how India feels about the changing strategic realities, as well as what has happened with Pakistan.' Last month, India and Pakistan engaged days-long cross-border fire. Indian forces launched a series of strikes across the Line of Control — the de facto border that separates the Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled parts of the disputed Kashmir territory. They also hit other sites on the Pakistani mainland, targeting what New Delhi claimed were militant positions. Pakistan retaliated with strikes on Indian military targets before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10. According to the Pakistani military, its forces had downed six Indian warplanes, including several French aircraft Rafale and a Mirage 2000. The escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors took place as India blamed Pakistan for a deadly militant attack, in which 26 tourists were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir — Islamabad denied any involvement.
Arab News
08-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Indian FM begins week-long EU trip in new cooperation push
NEW DELHI: India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar set out on Sunday to begin a week of talks with leading diplomats of the EU, France, and Belgium in a new push for cooperation with Europe. Jaishankar is due to meet his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot during the trip. He will also hold 'a strategic dialogue with the EU High Representative and Vice President Ms. Kaja Kallas, and will engage with the senior leadership from the European Commission and the European Parliament,' the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The visit is expected to 'further deepen India's friendly relations with the EU, France, and Belgium and give renewed momentum to ongoing cooperation in diverse areas,' the ministry added. Jaishankar will also inaugurate the first edition of the Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue in Marseille. The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference on geopolitics and geo-economics held annually in New Delhi and organized by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs. The dialogue in Marseille 'is a new initiative involving both government and nongovernment officials from both from India and various parts of the world to converge and talk about issues pertaining to the Mediterranean,' Prof. Harsh V. Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation, told Arab News. During EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's New Delhi visit in February, India and the EU agreed to finalize negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement in December. Talks in Paris last week resulted in agreement on almost half the agenda, covering areas such as customs, trade facilitation, rules of origin, and intellectual property.
Arab News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Ankara aims to strengthen ties with Cairo through NATO
When NATO launched a military intervention in Libya in 2011, Egypt adopted a cautious stance because of concerns about the scope and intentions of the action. Cairo viewed the alliance's intervention as exacerbating Libya's instability, creating a larger security vacuum in the region. Turkiye, a NATO member, initially opposed the intervention, perceiving it as risky, but eventually joined in albeit reluctantly. NATO's image in the Middle East has been contentious for decades, partly because of its intervention in Libya, which further fueled negative perceptions and mistrust among both the political elite and the general public. These perceptions were intensified by the lack of strategic dialogue between NATO and Egypt. However, Ankara, which is currently NATO's contact point with Egypt, is keen to strengthen ties between the alliance and Cairo and to contribute to increasing public awareness of this relationship. The Turkish Embassy in Cairo hosted an event last week to discuss NATO-Egypt relations and the NATO contact point role that Turkiye and Italy will share. The event also focused on the NATO Southern Neighborhood Action Plan, which was adopted at the NATO summit in Washington in 2024. A joint initiative aimed at boosting ties between Egypt and NATO was launched at the event, which was viewed as the continuation of Egypt's long-standing policy of cooperating with the alliance without seeking membership. Turkiye plays a significant role in NATO-Egypt relations. In the past, when those relations were strained, Turkiye blocked Egypt's partnership activities with NATO, to prevent Cairo developing a partnership with the alliance. In 2021, Turkiye removed its block and supported Egypt's progress to partnership with NATO as part of Mediterranean Dialogue, and its participation in all activities with NATO. This paved the way for the normalization of relations between Ankara and Cairo. Since the 1990s, NATO has engaged closely with states in the Middle East, including Egypt, through its Mediterranean Dialogue. Established in 1994, it aims to facilitate political dialogue with Middle Eastern countries. As a NATO partner, Egypt engages in political dialogue with the alliance. NATO members issued a joint report last year asserting that Egypt was a strategic partner for peace, security and stability in the region. For Turkiye, Egypt is a key player in the eastern Mediterranean, an area of significant interest where Turkiye has high stakes. The rapprochement between Cairo and Ankara has been significant for regional dynamics. The Gaza war in particular has played a pivotal role in consolidating their renewed relationship, as both view Israeli attacks as destabilizing. As ties were restored, both countries also made it clear that a priority for renewed cooperation would be stabilizing Libya. It is evident then that closer relations between Turkiye and Egypt also align with NATO's objectives and ambitions in the region and Libya presents an opportunity to strengthen their cooperation. NATO has expressed interest in helping build defense structures in Libya, but it requires cooperation with Egypt and Turkiye to do so effectively. Egypt faces significant security concerns in Sinai, Libya, and Sudan, with Libya posing a particularly critical challenge. Libya continues to struggle with the aftermath of years of crises since the NATO intervention. While NATO and Egypt may differ on approaches to their objectives there, they have a common goal of stabilizing the country, a shared interest thatcould foster closer cooperation between them. Turkiye supports NATO establishing partnerships with regional countries, including Egypt, to ease tensions that threaten regional stability through effective security and political collaboration. As a NATO member, Turkiye aims to play a crucial role in NATO's Middle Eastern strategy, with the priority being to enhance the security of regional states, rather than risking their security through more active involvement in resolving ongoing crises, including Libya. Turkiye's interests in strengthening NATO-Egypt ties are driven by several key considerations, particularly regarding Libya and the eastern Mediterranean, where they have different agendas and partnerships. However, by improving their relations, they hope to turn challenges into opportunities. First, Turkiye needs partners in the eastern Mediterranean, a region that plays a critical role in its foreign policy. Closer relations with Cairo may enhance Ankara's influence there, particularly on the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, from which Turkiye has been excluded. While Egypt is unlikely to jeopardize its existing partnerships in the region, improved ties with Ankara could at least prevent Cairo from actively aligning with initiatives that are against Turkiye's interests. The eastern Mediterranean is also strategically significant for NATO's southern flank. Second, Turkiye seeks to transform Libya from a contested area into a space for cooperation with Egypt. Both Turkiye and Egypt are facing economic challenges, and the economic benefits of collaboration in Libya are a powerful force for their cooperation. For NATO, Libya's instability has allowed the rise of non-state actors and uncontrolled migration to Europe, making the country a major concern. Thus, Libya's significance in foreign policy considerations for Turkiye, Egypt, and NATO is related to strategic interests in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as migration routes. Last, Turkiye seeks to strengthen its position within NATO by bridging the alliance's relations with Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt. The current state of relations between Egypt and Turkiye will undoubtedly affect the level of cooperation between Cairo and the alliance in the future. • Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye's relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
