Eduardo González
The President of Egypt, Abdelfatah al Sisi, is already in Madrid on Tuesday, where he will meet the following day with King Felipe VI, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and representatives of the main Spanish companies.
According to the spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Mohamed el Shennway, the visit will include the signing of an agreement to raise Egyptian-Spanish relations to the category of strategic partnership and the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding in various areas of cooperation. Likewise, Al Sisi will attend an economic event with Spanish businessmen and companies.
According to the Royal House, the King will receive Al Sisi at the Royal Palace. Later, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will offer a lunch in honor of the Egyptian leader. This is Al Sisi’s second official visit to Spain since 2015.
Al Sisi’s official visit also includes a meeting with Pedro Sánchez, who was received by the Egyptian president on November 24, 2023, as part of a tour of the Middle East accompanied by the then Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo. Sánchez was also received by the Egyptian president during a previous official visit in November 2021.
Separately, Sánchez and Al Sisi held a telephone conversation on January 29 in which, according to the spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, both discussed bilateral relations, especially in the economic, commercial and investment areas, and the President of the Spanish Government praised Egypt’s role in reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
For his part, Al Sisi praised Spain’s position in support of the Palestinian cause, addressed Egypt’s humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and stressed his country’s unwavering position in favour of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
Abdel Fattah al Sisi was scheduled to travel to the United States on 18 February, but ultimately decided to cancel the visit (which was to be made at the invitation of President Donald Trump) after the American president launched his proposal to expel the 2.3 million Gazans to Jordan and Egypt to turn the Gaza Strip into a kind of tourist resort under American authority. Egypt has also called an Arab Summit for 27 February with the aim of formulating a united position on Trump’s plans in the Gaza Strip.
