Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, held wide-ranging talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, focusing on ways to enhance bilateral ties in a range of areas, including agriculture, digital domain, culture and trade.
The 68-year-old influential Arab leader, who arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day visit, is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
Also read: In President Sisi visit, India and Egypt look to rekindle non-aligned era ties
“President Sisi will attend our Republic Day celebrations tomorrow as the chief guest. It is a matter of honor and joy for the whole of India,” PM Modi said after the meeting.
“India and Egypt are among the oldest civilizations in the world. There has been a continuous relationship between us for many thousands of years. More than 4,000 years ago, trade with Egypt used to take place through the Lothal Port of Gujarat.”
Mr. Modi added that India extending an invitation to Egypt during its G-20 presidency was a sign of the “special friendship” between the countries.
He said that India and Egypt would strengthen cooperation between defence industries and in counter-terrorism initiatives.
“We have decided that under India-Egypt Strategic Partnership, we will develop a long-term framework for more comprehensive cooperation in political, security, economic and scientific fields,” said Mr. Modi. “We have also decided in today’s meeting to further strengthen cooperation between our defense industries, and to increase exchange of counter-terrorism information and intelligence.”
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted: “Deepening our bond with Egypt — the natural bridge that connects Asia with Africa. PM @narendramodi and President @AlsisiOfficial hold talks adding momentum to the multifaceted India-Egypt relations marked by civilisational, cultural & economic linkages and deep-rooted P2P ties.”
The Egyptian president visited India in October 2015 to participate in the third India-Africa Forum Summit. This was followed by his state visit in September 2016.
This is the first time that the Egyptian president has been invited as the chief guest to India’s Republic Day celebrations. A military contingent from the Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade.
India is keen to further expand ties with Egypt, a key player in the politics of both the Arab world as well as Africa. It is also seen as a major gateway to markets in Africa and Europe.
