Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Bilateral Meeting with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt during the State Visit of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Indonesia, at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday, October 12, 2026

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

 Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

 Your Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, along with distinguished members of the Egypt delegation;

Distinguished Coordinating Ministers and Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet;

Distinguished members of the media.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to once again extend my warmest welcome to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the entire delegation to Jakarta, Indonesia. It is a profound honor for me to receive His Excellency on this state visit, which reciprocates my state visits to Egypt in 2025, following my earlier visit in 2024.

During my visit to Egypt in April 2025, we agreed to elevate relations between Indonesia and Egypt to a strategic partnership. I am confident that, following our intensive and productive discussions, Your Excellency’s visit marks an important milestone in strengthening this partnership. The partnership must be supported by concrete cooperation that will delivers tangible benefits to the peoples of both our nations.

In today’s meeting, President El-Sisi and I discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, as well as concrete steps to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Egypt.

In the political sphere, we underscored the importance of regular high-level consultations making full use of existing bilateral mechanisms to strengthen coordination and sustain strategic dialogue.

We also agreed to strengthen cooperation across various sectors, particularly in trade and investment. To that end, we have encouraged the conclusion of an Economic Partnership Agreement between Indonesia and Egypt to expand market access, promote investment, and foster business ties between our two countries.

I also welcome the initiative to establish a Joint Investment Fund involving our respective investment institutions to spur investment in strategic projects.

In the maritime and fisheries sector, we agreed to expand cooperation to promote sustainable development, conserve marine resources, combat illegal fishing, and exchange knowledge and expertise.

In the field of defense, we agreed to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the defense industry and in capacity building through joint education and training programs, as well as exchange visits between our leaders and experts.

I extend my gratitude and appreciation for Egypt’s support in providing assistance and meeting the needs of Indonesian Navy vessels deployed in the Middle East on United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The strengthening of inter-state relations must also be supported by ever-closer ties between our peoples. In education, we are all aware that a very large number of our students are pursuing their studies in Egypt. Our relationship with Al-Azhar University has been longstanding, and we now wish to further strengthen that relationship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Indonesian Language and Indonesian Literature are now being taught at Al-Azhar University, demonstrating the continued growth of our cooperation. We also seek to expand educational opportunities for Indonesian students in Egypt, while inviting Egyptian educational institutions to establish a presence in Indonesia, including by sending lecturers and educators to Indonesia.  Looking ahead, Indonesia stands ready to expand educational cooperation through student exchanges, university partnerships, joint research, and to explore opportunities in other fields. We appreciate Egypt’s offer to provide additional scholarships, particularly in medicine, engineering, and science.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

President El-Sisi and I also exchanged views on global and regional issues. We underscored the importance of sustained coordination, consultation, and cooperation between our two countries in various international forums.

Regarding Palestine, we are both deeply concerned about the violence, violations of international law, Israeli military operations, provocative actions, and human rights violations, and the disproportionate use of force that has claimed innocent lives. Unarmed civilians, non-combatants, the elderly, women, and young children continue to fall victim to acts that defy humanity. We strongly condemn the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and actions that further aggravate the situation. Indonesia’s position remains firm: the establishment of a Palestinian state based on a two-state Solution remains the only path to peace in the region. We are fully committed to supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle for self-determination and their right to live in peace.

Indonesia and Egypt remain committed to advancing the peace process and providing immediate humanitarian assistance to Palestine, including support for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. Regarding the situation in the Middle East region, we also expressed our deep concern over the escalating conflict. We continue to call for de-escalation, restraint, respect for sovereignty and international law, in accordance with the UN Charter, while emphasizing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is our firm view that any further escalation will have severe consequences for civilian safety and global stability, particularly the global economy.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I mentioned earlier, this visit has resulted in a number of bilateral agreements covering maritime affairs and fisheries, statistical cooperation, investment, the defense industry, trade, and economic cooperation, as well as an action plan for our strategic partnership. These agreements reflect our shared commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between Indonesia and Egypt.

Your Excellency President El-Sisi, Ministers, and Members of the Delegation,

Once again, I would like to express my highest appreciation for Your Excellency’s visit to Indonesia. Guided by the spirit of brotherhood that has long united our two countries and our shared commitment to deepening our strategic partnership, I am confident that relations between Indonesia and Egypt will continue to grow closer and deliver ever more tangible benefits to our nations and peoples.

We look forward to welcoming Your Excellency and your family back to Indonesia. We hope that, on your next visit, Your Excellency will be able to stay longer so that we may further deepen our mutual understanding. Please consider Indonesia as your second home.

Thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(YA/MEP)