Jakarta (The Indonesian News) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a state visit at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Sunday (October 11). This visit is an important momentum for Indonesia and Egypt to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote concrete cooperation in various fields.
The welcoming of President El-Sisi took place with a state ceremony. The series of processions began with an escort of motorcycle troops and mounted troops accompanying the journey of the Egyptian President’s entourage to the Merdeka Palace.
El-Sisi’s presence was also enthusiastically welcomed by students lined up along the welcoming route, waving Indonesian and Egyptian flags. The welcoming atmosphere became even more festive with a performance of the Tandok Dance from North Tapanuli, North Sumatra.
President Prabowo then directly welcomed President El-Sisi on the west side of the Merdeka Palace. The two leaders shook hands before proceeding together to the front veranda of the Merdeka Palace to attend the state welcoming ceremony.
The welcoming procession continued with the playing of the Egyptian national anthem, followed by the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya. The welcoming students also sang Indonesia Raya in unison, creating a solemn atmosphere in welcoming the leader of the friendly nation.
State honors were also marked by a cannon salute. After that, President Prabowo and President El-Sisi inspected the honor guard that had been prepared in the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace.
The two heads of state then introduced their respective delegations present at the welcoming agenda. From the Indonesian side, the delegates present included Minister of Foreign Affairs Arrmanatha Nasir, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Roeslani, as well as a number of other government officials.
Also present were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Sugiono, Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Kuncoro Giri Waseso.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian delegation was led by Head of the Presidential Cabinet Major General Ahmed Mohamed Aly Mohamed Sayed Ahmed. Also present were Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Minister of Transportation Kamel Abdelhady Farag El-Wazir, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Mohamed Saleh, and Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem Ali Maher.
Also present were Director of the Presidential Office Omar Alskhattab Marwan Abdallah Arafa, Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Yasser El-Shemy, and Official Spokesperson of the Egyptian Presidency Mohamed Ibrahim Abdelkhalek Elshinawy.
After the welcoming ceremony, the series of visits continued with the signing of the state guest book and a joint photo session in the Credential Room of the Merdeka Palace.
President El-Sisi then proceeded to President Prabowo’s office for a four-eyes meeting or tête-à-tête. The meeting was an important part of the state visit agenda to discuss strategic issues and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
A number of cooperation areas planned include visa facilitation, statistics, and fisheries. Both countries also discussed an action plan to enhance the Indonesia-Egypt strategic partnership.
Source: Press Release of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) of the Republic of Indonesia
