Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Many military figures, including representatives of the military offices of embassies accredited to Brussels, the capital of the European Union and NATO, were keen to attend the Egyptian Embassy's celebration of the 1973 October War Victory Day. They congratulated Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egypt's Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, and Colonel Mohamed Nabil El-Hanafi, the Egyptian Military Attaché. Diplomatic, media, and economic figures, as well as prominent figures from the Egyptian community in Belgium, were also in attendance. The celebration, held at a hotel in the Belgian capital, began with the national anthems of Belgium, Egypt, and the European Union. Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid delivered a speech in which he addressed the significance of the October War, the victory achieved, and the worldwide praise for the heroism of the Egyptian Armed Forces and its subsequent impact. He also noted that Egypt, which achieved military victory, subsequently chose peace as a path and continues to this day to strive for peace and security. He highlighted Egypt's role in achieving a ceasefire to end the suffering of the Palestinians. In this context, he alluded to Egypt's steadfast position since the beginning of the crisis, which is to reject the displacement of Palestinians and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause. Colonel Mohamed El Hanafi then spoke about the great victory achieved after the brave decision of the late leader Mohamed Anwar El Sadat and the heroic acts witnessed during the war. He also discussed the relations and cooperation between Egypt, Belgium, NATO, the European Union, and the Egyptian Armed Forces’ continued development and capacity building to always be a protective shield for the national territory. This was followed by a short documentary about the October victories and their aftermath. Minister Rania Al-Mashat, who is responsible for planning and economic development in the Egyptian government, was the guest of honor at the celebration. A number of ambassadors of Arab and Western countries and representatives of many international and regional organizations attended, including the European Union, NATO, the Arab League, and others.