Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were welcomed in Cairo on Wednesday with a ceremonial display of state honours, marking the Spanish monarch's first official visit to Egypt and underscoring a new chapter in relations between the two countries. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and First Lady Entissar El-Sisi received the royal couple at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, where a cavalry procession, 21-gun salute and guard of honor set the stage for high-level talks. The visit follows Sisi's trip to Madrid in February, when Egypt and Spain elevated their ties to a strategic partnership. Conversations between the two leaders ranged from boosting trade and investment to expanding cooperation in energy, transport, culture and education. Both sides highlighted Spain's role as a key European Union partner for Egypt and pointed to growing collaboration in archaeology, with more than a dozen Spanish missions working across sites from Luxor to Saqqara. The Gaza crisis loomed large over the agenda. Sisi praised Spain's recognition of Palestinian statehood as a "historic position" that strengthens the push for a two-state solution. Felipe commended Egypt's mediation and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. Together, the two leaders called for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, uninterrupted humanitarian aid and an end to any attempts to displace Palestinians, warning such moves could destabilise the region and fuel migration to Europe. Their talks also touched on global crises, including the war in Ukraine, with both leaders urging political solutions that respect sovereignty and territorial integrity. The day concluded with the exchange of state decorations between the leaders and their spouses, followed by a luncheon in honour of the royal visit. The trip, the first by a Spanish head of state to Egypt, carries symbolic weight for both governments as they seek to deepen ties at a time of shifting regional and international challenges. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
