India, Egypt sign pact on strategic partnership as Modi, El-Sisi hold talks

It is significant that the Prime Minister’s visit comes weeks after Egypt skipped the G20 working group meeting in Srinagar, which was held early June.

The strategic partnership will have broadly four elements: political, defence and security; economic engagement; scientific and academic collaboration; and cultural and people-to-people contacts.

The Egyptian President also honoured Prime Minister Modi with the Order of the Nile – the highest civilian honour of Egypt. Past recipients include South African leader Nelson Mandela, US President Jimmy Carter and Queen Elizabeth II among others.

“It is with great humility that I accept the ‘Order of the Nile.’ I thank the Government and people of Egypt for this honour. It indicates the warmth and affection they have towards India and the people of our nation,” the Prime Minister said in a Twitter post.

This is the 13th highest state honour conferred upon Prime Minister Modi in the past nine years.

The two sides also signed three pacts on agriculture, preservation of monuments and archaeological sites, and on competition law.

My visit to Egypt was a historic one. It will add renewed vigour to India-Egypt relations and will benefit the people of our nations. I thank President @AlsisiOfficial, the Government and the people of Egypt for their affection. pic.twitter.com/tpoTK3inxH

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2023

After the bilateral talks, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the two leaders gave a particular focus on enhancing political and security cooperation, defence collaboration, trade and investment ties, scientific and academic collaboration in their discussions.

“The two leaders had a private one-on-one conversation during which, following up on the India visit of President El-Sisi earlier this year, the two leaders discussed a whole range of bilateral cooperation and also took stock of what is happening on important issues of the region and the world,” Kwatra said.

“It was clear from those discussions and the MoU and agreements signed later on that the two leaders gave a particular focus on enhancing the political and security cooperation, defence collaboration, trade and investment ties, scientific and academic collaboration and strengthening of people-to-people ties,” he said.

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

The two leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries with a focus on improving trade and investments, energy ties and people-to-people connect.

El-Sisi welcomed Modi, who was on a two-day state visit to Egypt, at the Presidential Palace where the two leaders were closeted for the one-on-one meeting.

The Prime Minister on Sunday toured the Great Pyramids of Giza on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital. He visited the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Cairo, where he paid homage to more than 4,300 Indian soldiers who died in Egypt and Aden during World War I.

Some glimpses from my visit to the Pyramids in Egypt. pic.twitter.com/B4q4MQw2IA

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2023

He also visited Al-Hakim Mosque, where he was received by Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Mostafa Waziri. The Prime Minister met leaders of the Bohra community, who are actively involved in the upkeep of this Fatimid era Shi’a mosque and highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between India and Egypt.

After his arrival in Cairo from the US on Saturday, Modi met Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly-led India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by El-Sisi to improve bilateral relationship between the two countries.

On Sunday afternoon, the Prime Minister left for India, concluding his five-day trip to the US and Egypt.