October 11: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ended a six-day Asian tour in Jakarta on Sunday, where he and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed agreements including a strategic partnership action plan, Antara reported. The tour took him to South Korea from October 6 to 9 and Malaysia from October 9 to 10. In Seoul he launched talks on a comprehensive trade agreement, and in Putrajaya he and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim moved ties towards a strategic partnership, as trade between the two countries rose 74.7% this year, The Korea Times and The Edge Malaysia reported.
Key highlights
- In Seoul on October 8, Sisi and President Lee Jae Myung agreed to start negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), raised ties to a strategic partnership and signed or revised 12 memorandums, The Korea Times reported.
- South Korea became the first Asian country to sign a social security agreement with Egypt, and the leaders cited joint production of K9 self-propelled howitzers as a model for defence cooperation.
- In Putrajaya, it was Sisi’s first state visit to Malaysia since he took office in June 2014. Bilateral trade rose 74.7% to RM3.49 billion in the first eight months of 2026, Anwar said, according to The Edge Malaysia.
- In Jakarta, the two foreign ministers signed a Strategic Partnership Action Plan, alongside agreements on visa exemption for official passports, statistics, and maritime affairs and fisheries, Antara reported.
- All three legs included statements on Gaza and support for a Palestinian state.
The three legs compared
| South Korea | Malaysia | Indonesia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | October 6–9; summit October 8 | October 9–10; talks October 10 | October 10–11; talks October 11 |
| Host | President Lee Jae Myung | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim | President Prabowo Subianto |
| Status of ties | Raised to a strategic partnership | Raised to a strategic partnership (Malay Mail) | Strategic Partnership Action Plan signed |
| Main economic step | Launch of CEPA negotiations | Joint Commission planned for early next year on trade, investment and flights | Cooperation on fisheries, marine conservation and illegal fishing |
| Agreements | 12 memorandums signed or revised; social security agreement | None reported in the coverage we reviewed | Four: action plan, visa exemption for official passports, statistics, maritime affairs and fisheries |
| Defence and industry | K9 howitzer co-production cited as a model; shipbuilding and power infrastructure | Semiconductors, electronics, agriculture and pharmaceuticals named as sectors | Defence named as an area to expand, no details |
| Gaza and Palestine | Lee praised Egypt’s peace efforts in Gaza; both backed free navigation for all vessels | Joint support for a Palestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as capital; Malaysia treats injured Gazans | Support for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution |
| Sources | The Korea Times | The Edge Malaysia, Malay Mail | Antara |
Egypt and Malaysia: trade in numbers
| Period | Total trade | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2025, full year | RM3.08 billion (US$0.72 billion) | Malaysian exports RM2.55 billion; imports RM530 million |
| January–August 2026 | RM3.49 billion (US$0.87 billion) | Up 74.7% on the same period of 2025 |
By our calculation, trade in the first eight months of 2026 is already 13% higher than in the whole of 2025, and in 2025 Malaysia’s exports to Egypt were nearly five times its imports from Egypt. Anwar cautioned that the growth came “from a very, very low base”. Egypt was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner in Africa last year.
What Egypt wants from Asia
- Investment and industry: Sisi pledged support for Korean companies setting up in Egypt, and the two sides discussed shipbuilding, clean energy and power infrastructure, The Korea Times reported.
- Defence production: Joint production of K9 howitzers with South Korea was held up as a model, with talks on more local production and technology transfer.
- Trade access: A CEPA with South Korea, and more flights and trade with Malaysia, where Anwar said Egypt could become a source of pharmaceuticals.
- Diplomatic support: In each capital, Sisi sought backing for Egypt’s position on Gaza and a Palestinian state. “The political and the diplomatic tracks, respecting international law, are the only way,” he said in Putrajaya, according to Malay Mail.
For the Asian hosts, Egypt offers a gateway to the Arab world and Africa, as Anwar put it, and a partner on safe navigation, a concern for Asian economies that depend on shipping through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Lee and Sisi reaffirmed “safe and free navigation for all vessels”, The Korea Times reported. It was Sisi’s first visit to South Korea since 2016, SBS reported.
What to watch
- The start and timetable of Korea–Egypt CEPA negotiations.
- The Malaysia–Egypt Joint Commission planned for the first quarter of 2027.
- Any follow-up defence deals, especially on K9 production in Egypt.
- Whether Egypt’s Asian partners take a joint line on Gaza at upcoming meetings.
What it means
Sisi’s tour shows Egypt looking east for money, technology and diplomatic backing at a time of war in its region. The three visits produced different things: a defence and industrial partnership with South Korea, a fast-growing but still small trade relationship with Malaysia, and a framework of agreements with Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. For Asia, the visits are a reminder that the Middle East’s conflicts, from Gaza to the shipping lanes, reach directly into Asian economies, and that partners like Egypt matter to keeping those routes open.
Sources
- Antara: Indonesia, Egypt ink agreement on diplomatic, marine affairs
- Antara: Egyptian President arrives in Jakarta ahead of talks with Prabowo
- The Korea Times: Korea, Egypt launch CEPA talks, upgrade ties to strategic partnership
- SBS News: President Lee to hold summit with Egyptian president on state visit
- The Edge Malaysia: Anwar: Malaysia, Egypt to expand trade, investment and economic cooperation
- Malay Mail: Egypt’s El-Sisi backs Palestinian state, praises Malaysia for helping injured Gazans
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
