Saturday 22 Feb
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy met with Dutch Ambassador Peter Mollema at the Ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital on Monday. The meeting focused on strengthening tourism and antiquities cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands and discussing future joint projects.
Minister Fathy welcomed Ambassador Mollema, emphasizing the strong bilateral relationship and expressing his desire to expand cooperation to benefit both countries.
During the meeting, the prospects and plans for developing
future cooperation between the two countries in tourism and archaeology were
discussed, along with visions and ideas to strengthen this cooperation.
The meeting also reviewed indicators of tourist traffic from
the Netherlands to Egypt, and discussed mechanisms to attract more Dutch
tourists. This discussion acknowledged Dutch tourists' interest in Egyptian
destinations, particularly Red Sea beach tourism, and addressed the number of
flights from Dutch cities to various Egyptian tourist destinations.
The discussion also covered the Grand Egyptian Museum,
including its current trial operation and ongoing preparations for the official
opening ceremony. The date of this highly anticipated event, which will be
attended by the President of the Republic, was also discussed. The Minister
noted that the celebration is planned to include a series of events and
activities spanning several days.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cairo stated that Egypt is a preferred tourist destination for Dutch tourists, who are passionate about visiting and learning about its diverse tourist offerings. He emphasized that Egypt has numerous tourist, archaeological, and historical sites worth visiting and exploring.
He also expressed his desire to expand joint cooperation in
archaeological work and enhance excavation and restoration efforts at
archaeological sites in Egypt.
Also present at the meeting were Dr. Mohammad Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ambassador Khaled Tharwat, Minister's Advisor for International Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the Ministry, and Ms. Nelly Darrag, Culture, Sports, and Development Policy Officer at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cairo.
