Abdel Fattah El-sisi expressed his commitment to increasing Indonesia-Egypt cooperation in various fields, and his government will fully support Indonesian students studying in Egypt.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, held a bilateral meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-sisi, at the Al Ittihadiya Presidential Palace during his state visit to Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

In the meeting, President Prabowo expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome given by the Egyptian government and people, according to the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat in a written statement on Thursday.

"It is an honor for me to carry out the first state visit by a President of the Republic of Indonesia in the last 10 years," Prabowo said in a joint press statement with El-Sisi after the meeting.

Emphasizing the importance of Egypt in Indonesia's historical and diplomatic relations, the head of state also explained that the country located on the African continent was the first country to recognize Indonesia's independence.

“Egypt has a special place in the hearts for the Indonesian people because Egypt was the first country to recognize the independence of the Indonesian people when we fought the war of independence against the colonialists," Prabowo said.

The two leaders’ meeting was said to have been warm and productive, with a focus on increasing cooperation in various fields, and encouraging the formation of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

Highlighting cultural cooperation, including the promotion of pencak silat (Indonesia’s martial art) which is increasingly popular among people of Egypt’s younger generation, Prabowo said, "I have received reports that around 4,000 young Egyptians have learned pencak silat".

On regional issues, especially that on Palestine, the two leaders agreed to continue to support the country's struggle for independence and the two-state solution. President Prabowo also praised Egypt's strategic role as a peace mediator and humanitarian aid hub for Gaza.

"We will work together with Egypt to find an urgent peace solution for Palestine and the region. And of course we support Palestinian independence and the two-state solution," he said.

The two countries, which have a majority Muslim population, also emphasized their shared commitment to promoting moderate Islam that is tolerant and inclusive. This is important as an effort to combat extremism and Islamophobia.

“Our Islam, our similarity is moderate Islam. And we must maintain this and promote this, so that we can also combat extremism and Islamophobia,"Prabowo said.

Meanwhile, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed his commitment to increasing Indonesia-Egypt cooperation in various fields, and his government will fully support Indonesian students studying in Egypt.

Reporting by Indonesia Window