On June 25, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at the Al Itihadiyah Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt to sign a joint statement on upgrading bilateral relations to the level of a “Strategic Partnership”.
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| Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) during a signing ceremony to upgrade bilateral relations on June 25, in Cairo, Egypt. (Source: Egyptian President's Office) |
According to Mr. Ahmed Fahmy, spokesman for the Egyptian President, the signing ceremony of this joint statement demonstrates the determination of both sides in promoting and elevating the relationship between the two countries.
The spokesman also said that on June 25, President El-Sisi and Prime Minister Modi discussed enhancing cooperation between Egypt and India in many areas, including economy, trade, investment, renewable energy and green hydrogen, pharmaceutical production, food security, higher education, communications, information technology and defense.
At the same time, the two sides discussed regional and international issues, as well as increasing bilateral trade turnover, including strategic items, as well as promoting Indian investment in Egypt.
In addition, the two leaders also discussed plans to expand cooperation in the fields of tourism and culture, through increasing direct flights between Cairo and New Delhi.
During the meeting, the Indian Prime Minister reiterated his invitation to the Egyptian President to attend the G20 Summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi in September this year.
For his part, appreciating India's role in the G20, President El-Sisi stated that Egypt is ready to contribute to the process of building optimal mechanisms to respond to energy and food crises, climate change, as well as mobilizing financial resources for developing countries.
In addition, the two leaders also mentioned cooperation in the two fields of defense and security in the coming time.
At the end of the talks, Mr. El-Sisi awarded Prime Minister Modi the "Order of the Nile" - the highest medal of the Egyptian State.
Prime Minister Modi's two-day official visit to Egypt from June 24-25 is Modi's first official visit and the first official visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt since 1997, as 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
India and Egypt both see each other as important strategic partners. With its geostrategic location on the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Suez Canal, Egypt is an integral part of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy, as well as New Delhi’s strategy towards Africa.
At the same time, Egypt is one of India's most important trading partners in Africa. Last year, bilateral trade increased by 13.7% compared to 2021, reaching $6 billion.
Accordingly, the two sides have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to 12 billion USD in the next 5 years.
There are currently more than 50 Indian companies operating in Egypt with a total investment of 3.15 billion USD, providing direct employment to about 38,000 local workers.
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