New Delhi: PM Modi to meet Egyptian President Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Egypt on Saturday on his two-day visit. Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Kamal Madbouli received him at Cairo airport. Modi’s talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will take place today.
This is the first state visit by an Indian PM to Egypt since 1997. This visit is very important for the Government of India, which is trying to strengthen its relations in West Asia and Africa. When Al-Sisi visited India in January 2023, the two countries declared each other as strategic partners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed strengthening economic ties between the two countries in his first meeting with the ‘India Unit’ in Egypt. The ‘India Unit’ is a group of top Egyptian ministers headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli. Modi thanked Egypt for setting up a dedicated high-level India unit and appreciated the government’s stand.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, “Discussions were held to deepen cooperation in a number of areas, including trade and investment, renewable energy, green hydrogen, information technology, digital payment platforms, medicine and people-to-people contacts.”
Along with this, the PM also met Dr. Shaki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, the biggest Mufti of Egypt. He also met the people of the Indian diaspora and the Bohra community.
On Sunday, the PM is scheduled to visit Al-Kareem Masjid first. He will then proceed to Heliopolis where he will pay homage at the memorial to Indian soldiers who died in World War I. This will be followed by a bilateral meeting with President al-Sisi.
Some important agreements are also to be signed between the two countries. Egypt is building an economic zone near the Suez Canal. India has proposed to set up a special economic zone there. It is expected that an agreement will be reached between the two countries in this regard as well.
After reaching Cairo, Modi expressed hope that India-Egypt relations will be further strengthened. The people of both the countries will benefit from this. Al-Sisi is likely to visit India again in September 2023 after Modi’s visit.
India has invited Egypt as a special guest to attend the G-20 meeting. This shows the importance India is giving to Egypt. Egypt is currently facing an economic crisis. It hopes that economic cooperation with India will help in overcoming this crisis. Egypt has just sought help from the International Monetary Fund.
