Colombian president expresses deep pride in Egypt’s ancient civilization, hails GEM as historic achievement

CAIRO – 31 October 2025: Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro congratulated his Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the upcoming inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the world’s largest museum dedicated for a single civilization.

Petro met on Friday with El-Sisi a day ahead of the planned grand opening of the museum, according to the Egyptian Presidency.

World leaders and other high-level dignitaries are set to attend the opening of the mega museum, home to over 57,000 artifacts including King Tutankhamun’s treasures, on Saturday.

The Colombian president hailed GEM as a historic achievement, expressing his deep pride in the ancient Egyptian civilization.

Step into the heart of civilization where Egypt’s ancient past breathes through every hall, a timeless journey from the age of the Pharaohs to the dawn of a new cultural era.

President El-Sisi welcomed Petro on his second visit to Egypt, commending the historic ties between the two nations.

E-Sisi reaffirmed Cairo’s keenness to enhance bilateral cooperation across various fields, particularly in trade and economic relations, and to continue coordination at international forums on issues of mutual concern, including sustainable development goals and global development challenges.

The two leaders held in-depth discussions on prospects for cooperation in key sectors such as trade, renewable energy, aviation, and culture, as well as on exchanging expertise in combating transnational organized crime and terrorism.

Petro lauded the growing bilateral relations and the remarkable increase in trade volume between Egypt and Colombia over the past five years, stressing the need to build on this momentum to further strengthen economic ties.

 

The talks also addressed regional developments with El-Sisi reviewing the outcomes of the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace and developments regarding the current ceasefire agreement in Gaza, praising Colombia’s initiative to provide humanitarian aid to the Strip.

Petro commended Egypt’s intensive efforts, under El-Sisi’s leadership, to end the war and contain the humanitarian catastrophe, stressing the importance of full compliance with the ceasefire and the prompt launch of reconstruction efforts.

He expressed Colombia’s readiness to actively contribute to the ceasefire implementation efforts and to continue the provision of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.

El-Sisi, for his part, underscored Egypt’s determination to host the international conference on early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza in November.

The two presidents also discussed several regional and international crises, underscoring the need for peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the protection of peoples’ resources.

Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination and expand cooperation on issues of shared interest.