Sisi Visits Malaysia for First Time in Nearly Thirty Years; Egypt and Malaysia Jointly Condemn Israeli Military Actions in Gaza and Reaffirm Two-State Solution

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi concluded a two-day state visit to Malaysia on the 11th, jointly condemning with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the Israeli military operations in Gaza and reaffirming the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. According to Africa News, this is the first visit by an Egyptian leader to Malaysia in nearly thirty years.

The two leaders used strong language to criticize Israeli military operations during talks held in Kuala Lumpur. According to Africa News citing Ibrahim, he accused Israel of committing "atrocities against the Palestinian and Gazan people" stemming from its "rigid position and violent actions." Sisi discussed the Gaza conflict alongside broader regional security issues, including tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

According to Africa News citing Sisi, he "stressed to the Malaysian prime minister the importance of ending all crises in the region through a comprehensive political solution, which is the only way out." Both sides simultaneously reaffirmed their support for the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During the visit, the two countries signed four memoranda of understanding covering women's empowerment, higher education, tourism and investment. According to Africa News, Ibrahim said Egypt is "a very important country in both the Arab world and Africa," and that cooperation with Egypt would bring "enormous opportunities" for Malaysia "in all fields including trade, investment and tourism."

Economic data corroborates the willingness of both sides to deepen ties. According to Africa News citing Malaysian Foreign Ministry data, Egypt was Malaysia's seventh-largest trading partner in Africa in 2025, with bilateral trade reaching US$720 million; from January to August 2026, bilateral trade had risen to US$870 million, a year-on-year increase of 74.7%.

The specific terms of the four memoranda of understanding have not been publicly disclosed, and whether the documents signed during the visit will translate into substantive actions to advance a regional political solution remains to be confirmed by subsequent information.