TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On Saturday, April 12, 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.
This visit is part of Prabowo's diplomatic tour of the Middle East, following his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey.
"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), around 07.25 PM local time in Cairo, the President arrived after traveling from Antalya, Turkey," stated Yusuf Permana, Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media of the Presidential Secretariat, in a press release on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
President Prabowo’s agenda in Cairo began with his visit to Al-Ittihadiya Palace around 11:00 AM local time, where he was welcomed with a formal ceremony.
The ceremony included the playing of both nations' national anthems and an introduction to the delegations from Indonesia and Egypt.
Subsequently, Prabowo and President El-Sisi held a meeting to discuss various important issues, including the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, especially the conflict in Gaza, and the strengthening of strategic cooperation between the two countries.
"President Prabowo will consult and discuss with President El-Sisi regarding geopolitics in the region, about Gaza, and also about several other strategic issues," said Yusuf Permana.
After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership as a commitment to strengthen the bilateral relations of the two countries in various sectors. The activities at Al-Ittihadiya Palace concluded with a state luncheon.
"After the activities at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, the President will directly head to the airport to continue his journey to the Middle East. He will go to Doha, Qatar," said Yusuf.
Welcomed by Indonesian Diaspora
Prabowo was welcomed by the Indonesian diaspora at the hotel where he stayed in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, on Friday night, April 11, 2025. He was enthusiastically welcomed by Indonesian citizens living and studying in Egypt.
A number of Indonesian students and diaspora directly met with Prabowo.
Among those meeting President Prabowo was Lydia, a student from Aceh currently specializing in anesthesia in Cairo. She was overjoyed to meet the President in person and felt that his visit highlighted the government's attention to the Indonesian diaspora, particularly in the healthcare sector.
"I'm very happy to be visited by the President here. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for visiting to see us here," Lydia said.
During their conversation, Lydia shared that the President inquired about her education. She expressed hope that the government would continue to address the needs of doctors back in Indonesia.
"Hopefully in the future, Indonesia can have specialized doctors and not suffer from a shortage of specialized doctors," she hoped.
A similar sentiment was shared by B. Nur Anisa, a student from Jambi studying Islamic law.
In her brief exchange with the President, she was asked about her studies and life in Cairo. She also shared her motivation for visiting the hotel where the President was staying.
"To meet the President in person. Moreover, to inform the people in Indonesia that we who are far from Indonesia can also meet the President in person," she said.
She also voiced her hopes that the government would continue supporting Indonesian students abroad. "We, the Indonesian diaspora, hope that we can receive good education and comfort here, considering that there are many students from Indonesia studying here," she said.
Meanwhile, Alvia Sari, an Indonesian resident who has lived in Cairo for two and a half years, also expressed her joy at the experience of meeting Prabowo. Alvia's son was chosen to represent the diaspora at the event welcoming the president.
"We didn't expect that our son was chosen. Because there are also many other children. Very happy, very proud. Moreover, when Mr. Prabowo also kissed our child, it was very touching," said Alvia.
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