Cairo, Egypt, June 24: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left the United States on his first state visit to Egypt, a key Arab Power, aimed at bolstering the bilateral strategic ties between the two countries, amidst ongoing geopolitical transition in West Asia.
PM Modi’s state visit to Egypt, which comes after the elevation of India-Egypt relations to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ earlier this year, is expected to provide further impetus to the multi-faceted collaboration between the nations.
The invitation extended by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi marks the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Egypt since 1997.
India’s Ambassador to Egypt, Ajit Gupte, expressed enthusiasm for the visit, emphasizing its historical significance and the immense potential it holds for strengthening the bond between the two nations.
Ambassador Gupte expressed great anticipation for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Cairo, scheduled from the 24th to the 25th of June. The upcoming visit holds significant historical value as it marks the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1997.
During his stay, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold crucial talks with President El-Sisi on Sunday. The discussions will focus on exploring avenues to enhance the strategic partnership, encompassing diverse domains such as trade, defense, and culture.
The visit builds upon the recent participation of President Sisi as the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations earlier this year.
The reciprocal nature of these high-level visits is a testament to the speedily evolving partnership between India and Egypt, which was formally elevated to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ during President Sisi’s visit to India.
Prime Minister Modi eagerly anticipates engaging in discussions with President Sisi and senior officials of the Egyptian Government to further enhance the partnership between the two nations, emphasizing their shared heritage and the profound depth of their collaboration.
Ambassador Gupte underscored the close defense ties between Egypt and India, citing joint exercises, training programs, and an increasing number of defense delegations between the two countries. Notably, this collaboration has extended to joint exercises involving fighter aircraft from the Indian and Egyptian air forces, a significant milestone in their defense cooperation.
This visit mainly focused to enhance strategic cooperation in defense co-production, military exercises, and defense exports.
Ambassador Gupte stated, ‘The increasing defense cooperation between Egypt and India is evident through various joint exercises and delegations, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two countries in this crucial area’.
PM Modi’s state visit to Egypt not only signifies the strengthening of bilateral strategic ties but also signifies the long-standing friendship between the people of both countries.
The visit is expected to pave the way for deeper economic cooperation, trade advancements, and cultural exchanges.
