I’d like to start by thanking President El-Sisi for his warm welcome. It’s an honour to be your guest here in Cairo.
Especially now, at the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month for many millions of Muslims in Egypt and across the world.
So, on behalf of the Netherlands, let me say, Ramadan kareem!

Naturally the president and I spoke at length about the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Netherlands greatly values the role Egypt has played since that terrible 7th of October. It has proved an indispensable logistical, humanitarian and diplomatic player in this crisis.
As a result, many people – including Dutch nationals – have been evacuated from Gaza. Dozens of hostages have been freed. And we’ve been able to supply many people in Gaza with humanitarian support.
The situation remains desperate, however. So we urgently need to get more aid into Gaza and make sure it reaches the population safely.
Air drops and the maritime corridor initiated by the US and the EU are providing some relief. And the Netherlands will continue to play its part in this regard.

But these channels can’t get aid in fast enough. And they’re not sufficient on their own. They are simply no substitute for land convoys.
The situation demands an immediate pause in the fighting, to allow 500 trucks a day to be sent in and to get the hostages out safely. 
It’s good to see that Egypt, Qatar and the US are working to that end.
I hope these discussions will quickly achieve the desired result. One that leads to a lasting end to this conflict.
We can then work towards a political solution, with an independent Palestinian State existing alongside a secure Israel.

What we absolutely must avoid is further escalation. The settler violence in the West Bank must be stopped.
And the Netherlands and Egypt agree that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would cause a humanitarian disaster.
We are consistently making that point in our contacts with the Israeli government.
And during our meeting this morning, I again called on Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from taking this step.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Red Sea remains a cause for concern.
The Houthis’ illegal attacks are threatening shipping and causing widespread economic harm, including in Egypt.
The Netherlands is therefore sending a naval frigate to the region, to support the US and EU missions Prosperity Guardian and Aspides.
We’re also looking at what else we can do to help safeguard maritime security and the right to free passage in this crucial shipping route.
As a seafaring country and an open trading nation we have a crucial interest in finding a solution.

President Al-Sisi, our meeting today underlines the closeness and strength of our two countries’ relations. 
And there are countless opportunities to deepen those ties, both in a bilateral context and in terms of Egypt’s cooperation with the EU.
We are close partners on migration, for example. We enjoy strong economic cooperation.
And we see many joint opportunities to drive the green transition forward using green hydrogen. 
I look forward to working with you on this in the run-up to the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam in May.
And I hope that our good ties and shared priorities will soon be reinforced in the broad strategic partnership that Egypt and the EU are discussing.