Ashraf AboArafe
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received at Ittihadia Palace the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who is on a state visit to Egypt, the first of its kind.
Spokesman for the Presidency Counselor Ahmed Fahmy said the two leaders held talks at the summit level, during which they confirmed the distinct joint historical relations between the two countries and the mutual commitment to pushing them to broader horizons across various fields, especially through intensifying mutual visits by senior officials from the two countries. The Indian prime minister’s visit to Egypt follows the state visit President El-Sisi made to New Delhi in January. It also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and India.
The meeting touched on ways to enhance bilateral relations across many fields, mainly communications and information technology, pharmaceutical industries, vaccines, higher education, new and renewable energy including green hydrogen, in addition to tourism and culture through direct flights between Cairo and New Delhi. This is in addition to boosting trade and the exchange of strategic goods between the two countries, as well as developing Indian investments in Egypt in the coming period.
Views were exchanged on the developments of a number of regional and international issues of common interest. Prime Minister Modi invited President El-Sisi to participate in the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi under the Indian presidency. The President expressed Egypt’s confidence in India’s active presidency of the summit; one that contributes to containing the negative repercussions of international challenges on the global economy. The President stressed Egypt’s full readiness to cooperate with the Indian presidency to advance talks in a constructive direction, in a way that allows reaching optimal ways to address energy crises, climate change, food shortages, and access to financing for developing countries.
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.
President El-Sisi also conferred Prime Minister Modi with the “Order of the Nile”, Egypt’s highest state honor.
