Jakarta:Indonesia and Egypt are advancing efforts to create an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and a joint investment fund to boost trade and investment ties.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed these initiatives during bilateral talks in Jakarta. The discussions were part of El-Sisi's two-day state visit, which included a meeting at Merdeka Palace.

President Prabowo emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in various areas, particularly in trade and investment, highlighting the EPA as a key component of this strategy. He also expressed support for the creation of a joint investment fund by institutions from both countries, aimed at promoting strategic projects.

Earlier proposals from Indonesia included talks on preferential and free trade agreements with Egypt. Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso previously addressed the topic with his Egyptian counterpart in Jaipur, India, on August 7, as reported by the Indonesian Trade Ministry.

The ministry reported that bilateral trade reached $2.38 billion in 2025, with Indonesian exports at $1.94 billion and imports from Egypt at $439.8 million. This resulted in a trade surplus of approximately $1.5 billion for Indonesia. In the first half of 2026, trade totaled $1.74 billion, including $1.09 billion in Indonesian exports and $647.7 million in imports from Egypt.

El-Sisi's visit also led to several bilateral agreements covering a range of areas such as maritime affairs, fisheries, statistics, investment, defence industry cooperation, and economic cooperation. An action plan was established to further their strategic partnership, first elevated during Prabowo's visit to Cairo in April 2025. Both leaders committed to enhancing high-level consultations and existing bilateral mechanisms for improved strategic dialogue and coordination.