Jakarta – President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, made a state visit to Egypt this weekend as part of diplomatic efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss important regional issues, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday evening, April 11, 2025, at around 19:25 local time, after completing a working visit (Kunker) in Turkey. Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, the President was greeted by a number of officials from Egypt and Indonesia along with the Indonesian diaspora studying in Egypt. Among the officials were the Minister of Business Sector of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmad Shimi, the Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Lutfi Rauf, and the Defense Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, Navy Colonel (P) Dafris D. Syahruddin.
The visit to Egypt is an important part of Prabowo’s diplomatic efforts to gain approval from countries in the Middle East region, especially Egypt which has direct access to Gaza via Rafah. Previously, Prabowo said that Indonesia is ready to evacuate 1,000 Gazans, especially those who are injured, traumatized, or orphaned.
“The condition is that all parties must agree to this. Second, they are only here temporarily until they recover, and when they recover and are healthy again, the conditions in Gaza allow, they must return to their area of origin. I think that is the attitude of the Indonesian Government. For that, I have to consult with the regional leaders,” said Prabowo.
The President also emphasized that this evacuation is a follow-up to the encouragement of the international community which considers Indonesia to have a neutral and strategic position to help the Palestinian people without taking sides in the conflict.
“Our commitment to the Palestinian people encourages Indonesia to play a more active role,” said Prabowo.
The visit of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto to the Arab Republic of Egypt resulted in important achievements in bilateral relations between the two countries. In his meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Al Ittihadiya Palace, the two heads of state signed a Joint Statement on the Strategic Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media, Presidential Secretariat, Yusuf Permana said that this signing is a historic moment in the journey of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Egypt.
“This is a historical milestone for Indonesia because the strategic partnership between Indonesia and Egypt was carried out and signed directly by the two heads of state. Of course this is a positive result of the President’s visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt,” said Yusuf.
In addition, this strategic partnership statement is also an important milestone that confirms the seriousness of the two countries in strengthening cooperation in various fields. Strengthening in priority areas ranging from politics, economy, defense, security, cultural and educational relations, to relations between people.
“This strategic partnership statement marks the long diplomatic journey between Indonesia and Egypt towards a higher joint partnership,” added Yusuf.
President Prabowo’s visit is part of Indonesia’s active diplomacy at the global level, which aims not only to strengthen bilateral relations, but also to position Indonesia as a country that plays a role in maintaining world peace, in accordance with the mandate of the constitution.
