Spanish king, queen meet Egypt’s president, first lady and lay wreath at Unknown Soldier Memorial

CAIRO – 17 September 2025: Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia met on Wednesday with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and First Lady Entissar Amer at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

The king and the queen began their day in Cairo, as part of a four-day visit to Egypt, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Memorial in Nasr City district.

The pyramid-shaped monument was constructed during the era of late President Anwar Sadat in 1974 in honor of the Egyptian and Arab heroes who lost their lives during the 6th of October, 1973 War against Israel.

First State Visit to Egypt

King Felipe’s trip marks the Spanish monarch’s first official state visit to Egypt.

Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares is accompanying the king and the queen.

According to the Spanish foreign ministry, their visit represents “a favourable opportunity to continue strengthening the deep historical, political, economic, cultural, scientific, cooperative and human ties” between Egypt and Spain.

The king and the queen will visit Spanish economic, cultural and scientific projects in both Cairo and Luxor, including archaeological sites, noted the ministry.

The Egypt-Spain Business Forum will also be held during their trip to enhance economic and trade relations between both countries.

'Unspeakable Suffering' in Gaza

King Felipe leveraged his current visit to Cairo to strongly condemn the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, describing the suffering of its civilians under Israeli bombardment as “unspeakable.”

“The latest episode in this conflict... has degenerated into an unbearable humanitarian crisis, the unspeakable suffering of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and the total devastation of Gaza,” the monarch said on Tuesday, according to the AFP.

He underscored the gravity of the moment, noting that his visit comes “at a turbulent and tragic time for the region.”

Spain has taken a supportive stance toward the Palestinian people since the Israeli war in Gaza started in October 2023, killing nearly 65,000 people to day.

Spain has positioned itself among the most outspoken European critics of Israeli actions in Gaza, and in May 2024, the Spanish government formally recognized the State of Palestine.