Written by: Badr Ahmed
The President of Madagascar, Colonel Michael Randrianireina, arrived in Cairo on Monday evening, at the start of an official visit to Egypt that will last several days, during which he will hold talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, addressing ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand areas of cooperation between the two countries, in addition to signing a number of joint cooperation agreements.
The presidential plane landed at Cairo International Airport at approximately 6:30 pm, where the Malagasy president, his wife, and the accompanying delegation were received by the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, in the presence of the Egyptian Ambassador to Madagascar, Rabie Saeed, and a number of officials.
Seven ministers from the Malagasy government, who had arrived in Egypt earlier to prepare for the visit, were keen to welcome the president and the official delegation upon their arrival in Cairo, as part of the preparations for the anticipated bilateral talks.
On the first evening of his visit, the Malagasy president is scheduled to meet with members of the Malagasy community residing in Egypt at the Qubba Palace in Cairo, where he will listen to their opinions and exchange conversations with them about the latest developments in Madagascar, in a tradition he maintains during his foreign visits.
The visit will culminate in an Egyptian-Malagasy summit between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his counterpart Michael Randrianirina, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in the city of El Alamein, where President Sisi will receive his guest at the Presidential Palace to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation and issues of common interest.
The two presidents are expected to hold a bilateral meeting, followed by an expanded meeting that includes the delegations of the two countries, with the participation of seven ministers from the Malagasy side and their counterparts from the Egyptian ministers and senior officials, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in a number of priority sectors, most notably agriculture, investment, trade, and development, in addition to African cooperation files.
The visit program also includes an official reception ceremony for the Malagasy president, as well as overseeing the signing of a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding between Egypt and Madagascar, with the aim of strengthening the bilateral partnership and opening new horizons for economic and developmental cooperation in a way that serves the interests of both countries.
The Egyptian and Malagasy presidents are scheduled to conclude the visit by issuing a joint statement outlining the results of the talks and the understandings and agreements reached, in a move that reflects Cairo and Antananarivo's keenness to elevate bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in various fields, in order to support development and stability efforts in the African continent and strengthen the partnership between the two countries.
