President Prabowo, President El-Sisi Discuss Strengthening of Bilateral Ties, Middle East Peace

President Prabowo Subianto holds a bilateral meeting with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, at the Al Ittihadiya Presidential Palace, during his state visit to Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday (12/18). (Source: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Rusman)

President Prabowo Subianto held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, at the Al Ittihadiya Presidential Palace, during his state visit to Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday (12/18). During the meeting, President Prabowo expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome extended by the Egyptian Government and its people.

“This is an honor for me to undertake the first state visit by a President of the Republic of Indonesia in the past ten years,” said President Prabowo during a joint press statement with President El-Sisi after the meeting.

The Indonesian Head of State emphasized the importance of Egypt in Indonesia’s historical and diplomatic relations. President Prabowo highlighted that Egypt was the first country to recognize Indonesia’s independence.

“Egypt holds a special place in the hearts of Indonesians because it was the first country to recognize our independence during our struggle against colonial powers,” he said.

The two leaders had a warm and productive meeting focusing on enhancement of cooperation in various fields. One of the key areas discussed was Indonesia’s proposal to establish a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to strengthen bilateral trade relations.

Cultural cooperation was also discussed during the meeting, including the promotion of pencak silat martial art, which has gained popularity among Egyptian youth. “I received a report stating that more than 4,000 young Egyptians are learning pencak silat martial art,” he remarked.

On regional issues, particularly Palestine, the two leaders agreed to continue supporting the Palestinian struggle for independence and the two-state solution. President Prabowo also praised Egypt’s strategic role as a mediator for peace and as a hub of humanitarian aid for Gaza.

“We will collaborate with Egypt to seek urgent peace solutions for Palestine and the region. Of course, we fully support Palestinian independence and the two-state solution,” the President affirmed.

The two predominantly Muslim nations also reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting a tolerant and inclusive moderate Islam. This commitment aims to combat extremism and Islamophobia.

“Our shared Islam is a moderate Islam. We must preserve and promote this to fight extremism and Islamophobia,” said President Prabowo.

Meanwhile, President El-Sisi expressed his commitment to enhancing Indonesia-Egypt cooperation across various sectors. Additionally, the Egyptian Government pledged full support for Indonesian students studying in Egypt.

“We are ready to support and provide the facilities requested by Indonesia,” stated President El-Sisi. (BPMI Setpres/ABD) (AS/MMB)