President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives his Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung in Cairo. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
According to the Egyptian presidency, both leaders addressed several regional and international issues of mutual interest, stressing the need to preserve the unity and sovereignty of states, reach comprehensive political settlements to their crises, and safeguard the capabilities of their people.
During a press conference, President El-Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts to maintain regional security and stability, which resulted in reaching a ceasefire in Gaza through the agreement signed at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace, with broad international participation.
He also highlighted Cairo’s efforts to implement the Gaza ceasefire deal and the relevant UN Security Council resolution, emphasizing Egypt's unwavering position considering the two-state solution as the only way to achieve lasting, comprehensive, and just peace in the Middle East.
“We look forward to more countries to recognise the State of Palestine in support of this track,” the Egyptian leader said during the presser, appreciating Korea’s future active contribution to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
During the presser, President El-Sisi praised Korea’s efforts to maintain balanced and cooperative relations with various regional and international parties.
He emphasized the importance of intensifying international efforts to confront current challenges, notably terrorism, fighting pandemics, addressing the negative impacts of climate change, and upholding the principles of international law and the purposes of the UN Charter.
For his part, the Korean president praised Egypt's pivotal role in achieving peace and supporting stability in the Middle East, particularly El-Sisi’s efforts that led to stopping the war in Gaza and the hosting of the Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit.
He also commended Cairo's efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and advance reconstruction efforts, affirming Seoul’s ongoing cooperation with Cairo to help address the humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza population.
According to the Egyptian presidency, President Lee affirmed South Korea’s support for the two-state solution and Egypt's related efforts.
He reviewed his country's position on developments in the Korean Peninsula and East Asia, emphasising both countries’ commitment to international peace, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.
Egyptian-Korean partnership
During the presser, President El-Sisi underscored the importance of further strengthening the Egyptian-Korean bilateral ties in all fields, including economic, trade, investment, military, cultural, and educational sectors.
He highlighted the participation of Korean companies in many key projects in Egypt, affirming the state’s readiness to provide all facilitations to Korean companies and sectors for further cooperation in various fields.
El-Sisi further commended the Korean development experience, looking forward to increasing the scope of Korean companies' business across priority sectors, with a focus on localizing these industries in Egypt.
He looked forward to more Korean investments in automotive manufacturing and shipbuilding, as well as in artificial intelligence and mining.
El-Sisi also voiced hope for expanding Korean investments in communications and information technology to enhance productivity and expand business in multiple sectors.
“We also agreed on encouraging the Korean business sector to establish factories for petrochemical production and to benefit from the advanced technological capabilities of the Republic of Korea in this field, especially in the Suez Canal Economic Zone,” he said.
The Egyptian president outlined the guarantees, investment incentives, and competitive advantages offered by the Egyptian government to the Egyptian market.
“I seize this opportunity to invite these companies to strengthen their operations and expand their investments, and to invite new Korean companies to enter the Egyptian market and make use of the promising opportunities it offers,” El-Sisi said during the presser.
He also highlighted a proposal to establish a Korean university specialised in science and technology in Egypt, as well as establishing Korean schools in Egypt to transfer educational experiences and promote the exchange of expertise.
Thirty-year friendship
President El-Sisi welcomed Lee’s first visit to Cairo, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and South Korea.
“Throughout these years, we have witnessed the development of cooperation and friendship between our two countries; relations that are based on mutual respect, and the support of peace, development, and prosperity, to reach the level of comprehensive cooperative partnership,” he said.
El-Sisi further praised Lee’s political will to develop cooperation between Egypt and South Korea, affirming Cairo’s similar interest.
“Egyptian-Korean relations form a bridge of civilisational and cultural connection and set a model of economic cooperation based on complementarity and maximising mutual benefit from the capabilities of both countries and the potential of their peoples,” the president noted.
He affirmed Egypt’s keenness to work with South Korea to achieve prosperity for both peoples and to build on three decades of shared success.
El-Sisi looked forward to visiting South Korea again, nine years after his first trip.
For his part, President Lee thanked El-Sisi for the warm welcome, affirming South Korea’s keenness to develop cooperation with Egypt across all fields, whether at the level of governmental development relations or through the activities of Korean companies in the Egyptian market.
"Egypt is a leading country in cultural content in the Middle East,” the Korean president said, praising the achievements Egypt has made over the past decade, the most recent of which was the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
According to the Egyptian presidency, both leaders witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding in the fields of culture and education.
Earlier on Thursday, President El-Sisi and First Lady Entissar El-Sisi received the Korean president and his spouse, Kim Hea Kyung, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.
This is Lee’s first visit to Egypt since assuming office in June 2025, and the first by a South Korean president in three years.
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