President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Saturday Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Seri Perdana, the official residence of the Malaysian prime minister, in Putrajaya, the country’s administrative capital.
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting, followed by expanded talks attended by delegations from both countries.
Sisi expressed his pleasure at visiting Malaysia and highlighted the deep-rooted historical ties between the two countries.
Ibrahim expressed his country’s keenness to further strengthen bilateral relations, stressing the importance of building on the current momentum to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian and Malaysian peoples.
The two leaders witnessed the exchange of several memoranda of understanding before holding a joint press conference.
Sisi also renewed his invitation to the Malaysian king and prime minister to visit Egypt.
The president said his meetings in Malaysia reflected the progress achieved in bilateral relations across various fields, adding that ties would continue to be based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to expanding cooperation.
He also thanked the Malaysian king and prime minister for awarding him Malaysia’s highest federal honour, the Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara, describing it as a reflection of the mutual appreciation between the two countries.
Sisi said both sides were committed to advancing cooperation and that the outcomes of the talks would be referred to the joint committee between Egypt and Malaysia, which is scheduled to meet in the first quarter of 2027.
The president stressed the importance of opening new avenues for co-operation and making the best use of the two countries’ capabilities.
Priority sectors include renewable energy, industry, electronics, agriculture and food processing, he said, adding that sincere cooperation could deliver significant results.
Sisi also said the two sides had held extensive discussions on training religious preachers to promote moderate religious discourse.
He highlighted Al-Azhar’s role in this field for more than 1,000 years and noted that the institution welcomes students from countries around the world, including Malaysia.
Egypt is ready to receive more Malaysian students at Al-Azhar, as well as Malaysian preachers and teachers, he added.
The talks also provided an opportunity to exchange views on rapidly evolving regional and international developments.
Sisi said he and Ibrahim agreed on the need to de-escalate tensions and prioritise diplomatic solutions to crises in order to promote peace and support development.
He stressed that Egypt would continue its efforts to halt escalating tensions in the Middle East, calling for coordinated international efforts to achieve peace and uphold international law.
On the Palestinian issue, Sisi stressed the need for a just and comprehensive settlement in line with international legitimacy and the two-state solution. This must ensure the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said, describing this as the only path to lasting peace and stability in the region.
The president praised Malaysia’s support for the Palestinian cause and its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.
He also called for the full and sustained entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians, alter the demographic composition of Palestinian territories or divide them.
Sisi voiced concern over developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the expansion of settlements and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The two leaders also discussed developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Sisi stressed that comprehensive political settlements are the only way to resolve the region’s crises, adding that both sides agreed diplomacy and political dialogue are the best means of addressing them.
Following the press conference, Sisi and Ibrahim watched an artistic performance before inspecting several Proton Saga cars and motorcycles.
