Indian PM Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi signed an agreement to elevate the bilateral relationship between India and Egypt to a “Strategic Partnership.” During their meeting, the two leaders highlighted the need for the Global South to have a concerted voice.
On his arrival in Egypt for a two-day visit, his first to the North African nation, Modi, was received by the Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly at the airport.
The talks with President @AlsisiOfficial were excellent. We reviewed the full range of India-Egypt relations and agreed to further augment economic and cultural linkages. pic.twitter.com/Uj4sADp0Ky
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2023
Modi Meets El Sisi
Modi’s visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Egyptian President welcomed Modi at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace on his arrival in Egypt.
In Modi’s meeting with El Sisi, the two leaders appreciated the momentum imparted to the bilateral ties by the Egyptian President’s participation in India’s Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest in January 2023.
“The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the partnership between the two countries, particularly in areas like trade and investment, information technology, defence and security, renewable energy, agriculture, health, culture and people to people ties,” a statement released after the visit stated.
El Sisi and Modi highlighted challenges, including food and energy insecurity, climate change, and cooperation in G20, during their meeting and signed three MoUs in agriculture, archaeology and antiquities, and competition law.
“Following the talks, the two leaders signed a joint declaration to upgrade relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership, reflecting the longstanding common cultural heritage between Egypt and India at the official and popular levels, in addition to the presence of mutual will between the two countries to advance bilateral relations,” a release after the meeting stated.
The decision to elevate the ties to a strategic partnership was taken during El Sisi’s visit to India in January. During the meeting, Modi also expressed enthusiasm about the Egyptian President’s visit to India in September 2023 for the G20 leaders’ summit, in which Egypt is one of the nine “guest countries.”
Modi Receives ‘Order of the Nile’
El Sisi also conferred Modi with the highest civilian award of Egypt, the ‘Order of the Nile,’ making the Indian PM the first Indian to receive the award. The Indian PM thanked the government and people of Egypt for the honour and remarked that the award indicated their warmth and affection towards India.
Further, Modi also met the “India Unit” in the Egyptian cabinet, which comprises several ministers and senior officials and was set up after El Sisi visited India in January. The Indian leader appreciated the setting up of the unit headed by Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly and welcomed the government’s approach to taking forward the bilateral relations with India.
In the meeting, discussions took place on strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, renewable energy, green hydrogen, IT, digital payment platforms, pharma and people to people ties.
I thank PM Mostafa Madbouly for accompanying me to the Pyramids. We had a rich discussion on the cultural histories of our nations and how to deepen these linkages in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/WiXFhTP4QP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2023
Visit to War Memorial, Al-Hakim Mosque, Pyramids
The Indian PM visited the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Memorial in Cairo and paid homage to over 4,300 Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Egypt during World War I.
Modi also visited the Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo and met leaders of the Dawoodi Bohra community involved in the mosque’s upkeep.
Towards the end of his visit, the Indian PM paid a visit to the Pyramids with Madbouly and discussed the cultural histories of the two nations. The two leaders discussed how to deepen the linkages between India and Egypt in the times to come.
Additionally, Modi met the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Prof. Shawky Ibrahim Allam, prominent yoga instructors Reem Jabak and Nada Adel, renowned Egyptian author and petroleum strategist Tarek Heggy, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding company, Hassan Allam and members of the Indian diaspora in Egypt during his visit.