President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi concluded a six-day tour of Asia on 11 October 2026, signing a strategic partnership action plan with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, according to a joint statement issued by the Egyptian and Indonesian presidencies. The signing closed a trip that also took in South Korea and Malaysia.
The tour ran from 6 to 11 October: Seoul from 6 to 9 October, where Sisi held a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on 8 October; Kuala Lumpur from 9 to 10 October for talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; and Jakarta from 10 to 11 October, according to a tour summary published by Press of Asia. Indonesian officials said it was Sisi's first visit to the country since 2015, with Jakarta serving as the final stop after Prabowo made reciprocal visits to Egypt in 2024 and 2025, according to Antara News, citing Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir.
In Jakarta, Sisi met Prabowo at the Merdeka Palace for bilateral talks and a signing ceremony on the morning of 11 October. The two sides agreed an action plan to deepen their strategic partnership, and the two presidents witnessed the exchange of several bilateral documents aimed at strengthening it, according to the joint statement, which also welcomed growing defence and security cooperation.
We have pushed for the establishment of an Economic Partnership Agreement between Indonesia and Egypt. — Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
Indonesia's president said the agreement was intended to expand economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, and that the two governments had welcomed an initiative to establish a joint investment fund for strategic projects, according to Antara News. "These agreements demonstrate a shared commitment to continue strengthening the Indonesia-Egypt strategic partnership," Prabowo said.
Cooperation plans also include expanded Indonesian scholarship quotas in Egyptian medicine, engineering and science programmes, exchanges between the two countries' armed forces, and joint efforts against illegal fishing in shared waters, Antara reported. The strategic partnership itself dates to Prabowo's earlier visits to Cairo in 2024 and 2025.
All three legs of the trip produced an elevation in diplomatic status or a new cooperation framework. In Seoul, Egypt and South Korea raised ties to a strategic partnership and signed twelve memorandums, including Egypt's first social security agreement with an Asian country, and agreed to begin negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, according to Press of Asia. The two leaders also reaffirmed commitments to safe and free navigation for all vessels, the report said, citing the Korea Times.
In Kuala Lumpur on 9 and 10 October, Sisi held talks with Anwar Ibrahim, who said Egypt "could become a source of pharmaceuticals" for Malaysia, Press of Asia reported. Malaysian trade data cited in the same report showed two-way trade with Egypt reaching 3.49 billion ringgit, about $870 million, in the first eight months of 2026, a 74.7 per cent increase on the same period in 2025. Egypt and Malaysia, whose ties were also raised to a strategic partnership, agreed to convene a joint commission in early 2027.
Speaking in Putrajaya during the Malaysia leg, Sisi addressed the Gaza war, saying political and diplomatic tracks that respect international law were "the only way" forward, according to the Malay Mail, cited by Press of Asia.
The joint statement issued after the Jakarta talks also addressed Egypt's water security. It said the "Indonesian side noted the vital importance of Nile water security for Egypt" and that both countries "emphasised the importance of full adherence to the principles of international law governing transboundary watercourses, including the principle of not causing harm."
No date has been announced for the joint investment fund or the Economic Partnership Agreement to take effect. Prabowo said only that he was "confident that our relations will grow stronger" as the two sides work through the agreements signed in Jakarta, according to Antara News.
Taken together, the three legs of the tour produced more than a dozen new bilateral agreements and memorandums spanning trade, defence, education, fisheries and social security, according to the combined reporting from Antara News and Press of Asia.
Frequently asked questions
What did Egypt and Indonesia agree during President Sisi's visit?
The two countries agreed a strategic partnership action plan and exchanged several bilateral documents aimed at strengthening the partnership, according to the joint statement issued by the two presidencies. President Prabowo Subianto also said the countries were pursuing an Economic Partnership Agreement and a joint investment fund for strategic projects.
Where else did President Sisi travel on this trip?
Jakarta was the final stop on a six-day tour that began in Seoul, South Korea, from 6 to 9 October, and continued to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 9 to 10 October, before Sisi arrived in Jakarta on 10 October for talks that concluded the following day.
What did the joint statement say about the Nile?
The joint statement said Indonesia "noted the vital importance of Nile water security for Egypt" and that both countries stressed the need for full adherence to international law on transboundary watercourses, including the principle of not causing harm. It did not refer to any specific river project or dispute.
Had Egypt and Indonesia held recent high-level talks before this visit?
Yes. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Egypt in 2024 and 2025, and Indonesian officials described Sisi's trip to Jakarta as a reciprocal visit that was also his first to Indonesia since 2015.
What agreements did Egypt sign with South Korea and Malaysia on the same trip?
In Seoul, Egypt and South Korea elevated relations to a strategic partnership, signed twelve memorandums including Egypt's first social security agreement with an Asian country, and agreed to begin talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. In Kuala Lumpur, Egypt and Malaysia also raised ties to a strategic partnership and agreed to convene a joint commission in early 2027, according to Press of Asia.
