President Prabowo Arrives at Al Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo

President Prabowo Subianto is officially welcomed by President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Al Ittihadiya Palace, Cairo, on Saturday (4/12). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto was officially welcomed by President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Al Ittihadiya Palace, Cairo, on Saturday (4/12). The welcoming ceremony marked the start of bilateral meeting between the two heads of state, aiming to strengthen the strategic relations between Indonesia and Egypt.

President Prabowo arrived at the Al Ittihadiya Palace Complex at 11 am local time and was welcomed by President El-Sisi in person at the main courtyard of the palace. The President’s arrival was marked with a solemn welcoming ceremony, starting with playing the national anthem of the two countries.

Afterward, the two leaders introduced their respective delegations. President Prabowo was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and the Indonesian Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt Lutfi Rauf.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian delegation consisted of Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Investment and Trade Mohamed Hassan El-Khatibb, the Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Yasser Hassan Farag Elshemy, Head of Chamberlain Office of the Presidency Omar Marwan, and Egyptian Presidential Spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Khaleq El-Shennawy

President Prabowo and President El-Sisi then had tête-à-tête meeting that lasted warmly and friendly. The two leaders discussed strategic issues, including geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East region, situation in Gaza, and reinforcement in the economic, education, and defense sectors.

As a tangible result of the meeting, Indonesia and Egypt signed a Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It was a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral relations towards a comprehensive strategic partnership. The signing was done by President Prabowo and President El-Sisi.

The series of state visit ended with a state luncheon at the Al Ittihadiya Palace, held by President El-Sisi to honor President Prabowo and the Indonesian delegates. An intimate atmosphere and mutual respect were seen throughout the series of events, reflecting the close diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Egypt that have lasted over seven decades. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (JAS/MMB)