Netherlands Temporarily Closes Embassy in Cairo Amid Protests

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the temporary closure of its embassy building in Cairo until further notice as a precautionary measure following protests organized outside the embassy related to the detention of Egyptian youth Ahmed Nasser. The ministry clarified that the temporary closure will not affect services provided by VFS Global in Cairo. In recent days, protests took place outside the Dutch embassy in Cairo, opposing the arrest of Ahmed Nasser, the Vice President of the Egyptian Youth Union Abroad, who was detained while heading to participate in a gathering in front of the Egyptian embassy in the Netherlands. Protesters raised slogans condemning Nasser's detention and expressing rejection of what they described as Dutch support for members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Separately, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati met with his Dutch counterpart Tom Berendsen to discuss bilateral relations, emphasizing the necessity of providing adequate protection for the Egyptian embassy in The Hague in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and adhering to the principle of reciprocity. The Egyptian minister affirmed his country's commitment to protecting all diplomatic missions on its territory, noting mutual agreement on the importance of these obligations. The meeting also addressed the case of the Egyptian citizen detained by Dutch authorities, calling for clarification of the circumstances of the detention and efforts for his prompt release. This diplomatic move followed the circulation of videos showing insults directed at the guards of the Egyptian embassy in The Hague and the lack of intervention by Dutch police present at the scene.