Egypt welcomes Netherlands and Belgium's decision to ban trade with Israeli settlement products

Cairo, July 22 (QNA) - Egypt welcomed today the decision of the governments of the Netherlands and Belgium to ban trade in goods coming from Israeli settlements built in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed in a statement that the decision embodies support for the values of justice and reflects a practical and responsible application of the principles of international law and international legitimacy resolutions, foremost among them Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms the illegality of settlements and calls for their immediate cessation, in order to preserve the chances of peace and the two-state solution.

The ministry called on all European Union countries and the international community to take similar steps to ban settlement products, following the example of the Netherlands and Belgium, stressing that achieving security and peace in the Middle East requires ending the occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent sovereign state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.