Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aati affirmed Egypt’s priority in boosting Egyptian-Indonesian relations during a meeting on Friday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Abdel-Aati stressed Egypt’s keenness to follow up on the implementation of agreements reached between the political leaderships of the two countries and build on the outcomes of high-level visits and meetings, in a way that advances bilateral co-operation to broader horizons and serves mutual interests.
The minister affirmed that Egypt attaches increasing importance to strengthening relations with Asian countries and developing its partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), based on its belief in the bloc’s growing role in supporting security, stability and economic development, as well as the wide opportunities it provides for enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
He praised Indonesia’s important role in supporting ASEAN’s work as the host country of the bloc’s Secretariat, affirming Egypt’s commitment to boosting its institutional relations with ASEAN since joining the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in 2016, in a manner that enhances co-operation with ASEAN member states across various fields and serves the interests of both sides.
Within the framework of multilateral coordination, the foreign minister stressed Egypt’s keenness to continue consultations with Indonesia in various international and regional forums.
He praised mutual support for the two countries’ candidates in international organisations, as well as the convergence of their positions on supporting nuclear disarmament efforts, preventing nuclear proliferation and establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones.
He also affirmed the importance of continuing coordination with Indonesia within the Developing Eight (D-8) Organisation for Economic Co-operation, expressing Egypt’s aspiration to actively participate in the group’s upcoming meetings during Indonesia’s presidency for the 2026-2027 period.
On the economic front, Abdel-Aati expressed Egypt’s aspiration for trade and investment co-operation to reflect the distinguished level of bilateral relations.
He stressed the need to increase trade and mutual investments in a way that embodies the strategic partnership between the two countries, highlighting promising investment opportunities in Egypt, particularly the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which offers competitive advantages as a regional hub for industry and logistics services and a gateway to African and Arab markets.
He also stressed the importance of enhancing agricultural co-operation and exchanging expertise between the two countries, as well as working to remove non-tariff barriers hindering Egyptian vegetable and fruit exports to the Indonesian market, contributing to increased trade volume.
The two ministers discussed regional developments. Abdel-Aati stressed the need for regional and international efforts to end conflicts and crises in the region as soon as possible and advance the diplomatic track toward peaceful solutions in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.
He reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of all attacks targeting Arab countries and stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty and the principle of good-neighborliness.
Regarding developments in the Gaza Strip, Abdel-Aati expressed Egypt’s appreciation for Indonesia’s supportive stance toward Egyptian efforts, its rejection of the displacement of Palestinians, and its support for ensuring full access of humanitarian aid.
The minister also praised the humanitarian assistance provided by Indonesia to the Palestinian people in Gaza, commending the close coordination between the two countries in various international forums regarding the Palestinian cause.
