Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Sunday, October 11, 2026, agreeing to elevate trade targets to US$5 billion by 2030 and establish an Economic Partnership Agreement alongside a joint investment fund.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Jakarta for a state visit on Sunday, marking the final stop of an Asian tour that included stops in South Korea (October 6–9) and Malaysia (October 9–10, 2026). On Saturday afternoon, the Egyptian leader touched down at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, where two Sukhoi Su-27s, two Su-30s, and two F-16 fighter jets formed a protective escort for his aircraft as it entered Indonesian airspace. Upon landing at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, El-Sisi was welcomed by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman and Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, alongside an honor guard and students waving Indonesian and Egyptian flags.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto received him at the west foyer of the Merdeka Palace at approximately 10:35 a.m., following an official welcoming ceremony featuring a 21-gun cannon salute, cavalry and motorcycle guards, national anthems, and an honor guard inspection. The two presidents posed for a commemorative photograph before the Egyptian leader signed the palace’s visitors’ book. Preparation for the reception included an inspection of the honor guard and cavalry units of the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) led by Commander Major General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, with El-Sisi’s motorcade scheduled to pass through the Monas cross-square area escorted by Paspampres cavalry.
El-Sisi’s visit to Indonesia marks his first visit to the country since 2015. Sunday’s bilateral tête-à-tête and expanded delegation talks lasted approximately 2.5 hours before concluding with a joint press statement.
Economic Partnership Targets US$5 Billion in Bilateral Trade
During closed-door consultations at the Merdeka Palace, both heads of state agreed to accelerate negotiations toward an Indonesia-Egypt Economic Partnership Agreement. Sunday’s talks were designed to translate broad diplomatic accords into sector-specific action plans. Through the Suez Canal corridor, Egypt provides Indonesia with an essential strategic trade pathway connecting to North Africa, the Levant, and Southern Europe, while ongoing geopolitical fragmentation drives emerging economies to reduce their reliance on traditional, Western-dominated trade networks.
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Joint Investment Fund Between Danantara and TSFE
Beyond traditional trade, the bilateral talks produced an institutional partnership between the two nations’ sovereign wealth managers. Prabowo welcomed an initiative pairing Indonesia’s sovereign investment entity BPI Danantara with The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) to establish a joint investment fund for strategic cross-border projects, opening opportunities for investment market access and active engagement from both business communities.
Memorandums of Understanding Signed at Merdeka Palace
Following expanded delegation talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of several memorandums of understanding. Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty presented the finalized agreements.
- A joint action plan to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership.
- Diplomatic visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, official, and special passports.
- Statistical cooperation between national agencies.
- Maritime and fisheries cooperation.
Minister Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir stated that the presidential meetings and signed memorandums of understanding represent concrete steps to expand cooperation and reinforce existing bilateral ties across multiple sectors.
Indonesia and Egypt Condemn Israeli Military Campaigns
The heads of state also deliberated on broader regional security concerns, voicing profound anxiety regarding the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East—most notably the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Palestine driven by Israeli military campaigns and grave breaches of international law. Indonesia and Egypt agreed to strongly condemn various provocative actions, the construction of illegal Israeli settlements, and casualties among unarmed civilians such as children, women, and the elderly.
“We strongly condemn the construction of illegal Israeli settlements as well as actions that further exacerbate the situation.”
Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
Prabowo highlighted human rights violations, excessive force against innocent Palestinians, and the necessity of maintaining the Two-State Solution as the only path to achieving peace, emphasizing full commitment to supporting the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. Prabowo also stressed that Indonesia and Egypt view any escalation as highly detrimental to civilian safety and global stability, advocating for de-escalation, restraint, UN Charter respect, dialogue, and diplomacy.
“That is the only path to achieving comprehensive peace.”
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt
Expressing gratitude for the elevation of relations to a strategic partnership, President El-Sisi emphasized that the ties between Egypt and Indonesia are deeply rooted in a shared history and civilization. El-Sisi pointed out that talks covered regional conflicts posing risks to international security, and he affirmed that Indonesia will lend its complete backing to cooperative measures grounded in shared interests to equitably safeguard resource sovereignty.