El Alamein, Egypt; Cairo, Egypt

On Saturday 21 October 2017, at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, El Alamein, the Governor-General, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), and Lady Cosgrove, represented the Government and the people of Australia at the international ceremony for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein commemoration at which the Governor-General delivered the poem ‘El Alamein’ by John Jarmain, and together with Lady Cosgrove, laid a wreath.

Afterwards, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove viewed graves of Australian servicemen and laid crosses made by Australian school children on Australian graves.

Later, at El Alamein, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove met with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Then, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guest of President el-Sisi, attended a commemorative reception.

Afterwards, at El Alamein Military Museum, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guests of President el-Sisi and the Director of the Military Museum, General Amman Abdul-Maksoud, viewed the facilities, and donated Australian War Memorial prints to the museum collection.

In the afternoon, at Cairo international airport, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove were welcomed to Cairo by the Minister of Public Enterprise Sector, His Excellency Mr Ashraf Sharkawy.

Afterwards, in Giza, Cairo, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guests of the Director of the Giza Pyramids Complex, Mr Ashraf Mohya, received a cultural briefing.

Later, at Mena House, Cairo, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, as guests of the Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Mr Neil Hawkins, attended a reception with Australian Embassy staff, their families and members of the Australian-Egyptian business community.