PM Narendra Modi receiving the 'Order of Nile' from Egyptian president Abdal Fatteh El-Sisi. (Twitter/@PMOIndia)PM Modi Egypt State Visit Highlights (June 25): Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his two-day Egypt visit and departed for New Delhi from Cairo, after signing an agreement aimed at elevating bilateral partnership on strategic matter. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also conferred Modi with ‘Order of the Nile’ award, the country’s highest state honour.
El-Sisi welcomed Modi, who is on a two-day state visit to Egypt, at the Presidential Palace where the two leaders were closeted for one-on-one meeting. Modi also visited the historic 11th-century Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo on Sunday, which was restored with the help of India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. He later paid tributes to Indian soldiers who fought the World War I in Egypt and Palestine at Cairo’s Heliopolis War Cemetery. This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 26 years.
Modi began his maiden state visit to Egypt by holding discussions with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly. Seven members of the Egyptian Cabinet, led by Madbouly, were present at the meeting with Modi. This first official engagement was a meeting with the India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by President El-Sisi in March to further enhance the relationship with India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day Egypt visit came to a close as he emplaned for his departure to New Delhi from Cairo.
Here is all that happened on the second day of his Egypt visit:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi signed an agreement to elevate the bilateral relationship to a "Strategic Partnership". Both the leaders discussed ways to further deepen the partnership between the two nations, including in trade, investment, defence, security, renewable energy, cultural and people-to-people ties.
The two sides signed an agreement to elevate the bilateral partnership to a "strategic partnership." In addition, three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of agriculture, archaeology and antiquities and competition law were also signed between India and Egypt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the great pyramids of Giza on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, which were included in the Seven Wonders of the World.
Escorted by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Modi visited the three pyramids of the 4th-dynasty erected on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River near Al-Jizah (Giza) in northern Egypt. Modi was seen seeking details about the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is the largest Egyptian pyramid and served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled under the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.
Built in the early 26th century B.C., over a period of about 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact.
Over the past nine years, the Prime Minister has been conferred the Companion of the Order of Logohu, the highest civilian award of Papua New Guinea; the Companion of the Order of Fiji; the Ebakl Award by the Republic of Palau; the Order of the Druk Gyalp, the highest civilian decoration by Bhutan.
Modi has also been conferred with the Legion of Merit by the US Government; the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain; the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin, the highest honour of the Maldives; the Order of St. Andrew award, the highest civilian honour of Russia.
Modi has also received the Order of Zayed Award, the highest civilian honour of the United Arab Emirates; the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award, the highest honour of Palestine; the State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan, the highest civilian honour of Afghanistan and the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud, the highest honour of Saudi Arabia awarded to non-Muslim dignitaries.
Instituted in 1915, the 'Order of the Nile' is conferred upon heads of states, crown princes, and vice presidents who offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services. This is the 13th highest state honour conferred upon Prime Minister Modi.
The 'Order of the Nile' is a pure gold collar consisting of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols. The first unit resembles the idea of protecting the state against the evils, the second one resembles prosperity and happiness brought by the Nile and the third one refers to wealth and endurance.
The three units are connected to one another by a circular gold flower decorated with turquoise and ruby. Hanging from the collar is a hexagonal pendant decorated with flowers of the Pharaonic style, and turquoise and ruby gems. In the middle of the pendant, there is a protruding symbol representing the Nile that brings together the North (represented by the Papyrus) and the South (represented by the Lotus).
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi conferred the highest state honour' Order of Nile' on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the presidential palace in Cairo. The 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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Cemetery in Cairo and offered tributes to the Indian soldiers who bravely fought and laid down their lives in Egypt and Palestine during the First World War.
Modi offered floral tributes and signed the visitor's book at the Cemetery that comprises the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial and the Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial.
The Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial commemorates nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting in Egypt and Palestine in the First World War.
The Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial pays tribute to more than 600 men of the Commonwealth forces who sacrificed their lives for Aden during the First World War.
The Cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It also houses 1,700 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War as well as several war graves of other nationalities, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
Located at the south end of the Suez Canal, the original Port Tewfik memorial was unveiled in 1926.
Designed by Sir John Burnet, the original memorial sustained damages during the 1967-1973 Israeli-Egyptian conflict and was eventually demolished, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
In October 1980, a new memorial with panels bearing the names of the martyred Indian soldiers was unveiled by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt in the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the historic 11th-century Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo on Sunday, which was restored with the help of India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. The Prime Minister was seen appreciating the intricate carved inscriptions on the walls and doorways of the mosque which was built in 1012.
Over a thousand years old, al-Hakim is the fourth oldest mosque in Cairo, and the second Fatimid mosque to be built in the city. The mosque covers an area of 13,560 square metres, with the iconic central courtyard occupying 5,000 square metres.
The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims are a sect of followers of Islam who adhere to the Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi school of thought. They are known to have originated from Egypt and later shifted to Yemen, before establishing a presence in India in the 11th century.
(Photos: PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official engagement in the country on Saturday was a meeting with the India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by El-Sisi in March to enhance India-Egypt relations. Seven members of the Egyptian Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, were also present during the discussions on deepening trade relations and strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
"The setting up of the India Unit in the Egyptian cabinet indicates the priority given to India-Egypt ties," Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egyptian author Tarek Heggy in Cairo on Saturday.
"He shared his insightful views on global issues. I admire his rich knowledge on issues relating to different cultures," Modi wrote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first visit to Egypt as the PM, met yoga practitioners Nada Adel and Reem Jabak in Cairo on Saturday.
"Nada Adel and Reem Jabak are making commendable efforts to make Yoga popular across Egypt. Had a wonderful conversation with them in Cairo," he wrote on Twitter.
On International Day of Yoga on June 21, Modi had led the event held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, US.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his maiden State visit to Egypt, met Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding Company in Cairo on Saturday, and called the meeting "fruitful".
"In addition to topics relating to the economy and investments, I really enjoyed hearing his passion towards preserving cultural heritage in Egypt," Modi wrote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first State visit to Egypt, met the Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam in Cairo on Saturday.
"Had enriching discussions on India-Egypt ties, notably cultural and people-to-people linkages," Modi wrote on Twitter.
India and Egypt also share a close political understanding based on a long history of contact and cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues. The joint announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level was made on August 18, 1947.
Since the 1980s, there have been four Prime Ministerial visits from India to Egypt.
Rajiv Gandhi visited the country in 1985, PV Narasimha Rao in 1995, IK Gujral in 1997, and Manmohan Singh in 2009.
From the Egyptian side, President Hosni Mubarak visited India in 1982, 1983 (NAM Summit), and again in 2008.
High-level exchanges with Egypt continued after the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 and then President Mohamed Morsi visited India in March 2013. External Affairs Minister (EAM) visited Cairo in March 2012 and the Egyptian Foreign Minister visited India in December 2013. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roundtable meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly in Cairo on Saturday.
The Prime Minister, who arrived in Egypt on Saturday (local time), is scheduled to address the Indian community.
Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte on Friday said for the first time, a roundtable meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Egyptian Prime Minister is taking place. (ANI)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived for his first State visit to Egypt, Ajit Gupte, the Indian ambassador to the African country, said the ties between the two countries go back over 4,000 years.
He expressed hope that PM Modi's ongoing visit would yield "very concrete outcomes".
PM Modi, who was received by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on his arrival at Cairo and was accorded a ceremonial welcome, became the first Prime Minister to visit the country since 1997.
Speaking to ANI, Gupte said, "India and Egypt are two of the greatest ancient civilisations in the world and our ties go back more than 4000 years. Actually, emperor Ashoka referred to Egyptian king Ptolme II in the 3rd century BC. In recent years, the relationship has gone from shrinks to shrinks, particularly after Prime Minister Modi and President Sisi came to power." He said the people of Egypt were very familiar with the Indian culture and want to build ties with India.
"Everyone in Egypt is familiar with the Indian culture. They have been watching Bollywood movies for decades. They know that India and Egypt came together to form the Non-Aligned Movement. Their people closely associate with our values and want to be close to India," he said. (ANI)
As part of the second leg of his two-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Cairo for a state visit to Egypt from June 24 to 25 . PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday. The two countries would also sign a set of memorandums aiming at solidifying their ties, according to India’s External Affairs Ministry. Modi’s visit came six months after el-Sissi attended India’s Republic Day parade as an official guest.
In January, el-Sissi and Modi agreed on measures to increase the two-way trade in five years to $12 billion, up from $7.3 billion in 2021-22. During el-Sissi’s visit, the countries also signed agreements on expanding cooperation in cyber security, information technology, culture, and broadcasting. India is one of the top five importers of Egyptian products, including crude oil and liquefied natural gas, salt, cotton, inorganic chemicals and oilseeds.
Major Indian exports to Egypt include cotton yarn, coffee, herbs, tobacco, lentils, vehicle parts, ships, boats and electrical machinery. More than 50 Indian companies have invested around $3.15 billion in various parts of the Egyptian economy, including chemicals, energy, textiles, garments, agri-business and retailing, according to India’s External Affairs Ministry. (AP)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay his respects at the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial in the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt, where the names of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who fought in Word War 1 in Egypt and Palestine are commemorated. The Heliopolis Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery also commemorates 1,700 Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War 2. Read more
A poem titled "Gandhi" by Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi on the role of Mahatma Gandhi in India's independence struggle finds centre stage at the Cairo hotel, the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stay during his visit to the country.
Photographs of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's visit to India this January also find place in the exhibition.
PM Modi on Saturday arrived on a two-day State visit to Egypt.
During this visit, PM Modi will hold strategic talks with his counterpart Mostafa Madbouly and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Several members of the Indian community were present at the Ritz Carlton hotel here welcome PM Modi They have expressed immense excitement regarding PM Modi's arrival and have called this a proud moment. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on his first state visit to Egypt, will visit Cairo's historic Al-Hakim Mosque, restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra community.
Modi's visit to the mosque scheduled on Sunday holds special significance for India.
The Mosque has been restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra community, the Egyptian government's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said. The latest restoration was completed about three months ago.
The mosque mainly performs Friday prayers and all five obligatory prayers. (PTI)
The visit of Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to Delhi this week is not just about India rebuilding ties with an old friend that had been on the margins of Delhi’s diplomacy for too long. India’s decision to elevate bilateral ties to the strategic level is rooted in a recognition of the enduring salience of Egypt as a pivotal state sitting at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and Europe, with the capacity to influence political outcomes on multiple fronts.
Beyond bilateral ties, the renewed engagement with Egypt is also about expanding and consolidating India’s new coalition with moderate Sunni states in the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are eager to counter violent religious extremism. Read more
During his two-day June 24 to 25 State visit to Egypt, PM Narendra Modi will hold a roundtable meeting with the Egyptian PM and also meet President El-Sisi. Later on, PM Modi will interact with the Indian community.
PM Modi is scheduled to meet the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, today and will also interact with Egyptian thought leaders.
On Sunday, PM Modi will visit Al-Hakim Mosque. The Prime Minister will spend nearly half an hour at the Al-Hakim Mosque-- a historic and prominent mosque in Cairo named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985-1021), the 16th Fatimid caliph.
During his Egypt tour, PM Modi will also visit the Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Egypt during the First World War. (ANI)
After wrapping up his first State visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (June 24) evening landed in Egypt for his two-day visit to the country. Arriving for the first time in Cairo since he assumed the top job, Modi will be the first Indian PM to embark upon an official bilateral visit to the country since 1997.
As the two leaders meet for the second time within six months, their scheduled interaction highlights the growing cooperation between the two countries, especially in recent years. While Delhi seeks to consolidate its position in the Arab world with Cairo’s help, the latter wants India to expand its trade and investments in the country to help deal with its ongoing economic crisis. Read more
As part of the second leg of his two-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Cairo for a state visit to Egypt from June 24 to 25 .Modi was welcomed at the airport in Cairo by Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. This will be Modi’s first visit to Egypt as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt in 26 years. Modi will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday. (PTI)
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi by his side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday that India and Egypt are “worried about the spread of terrorism happening around the world” and they are “unanimous” that terrorism is the “most serious security threat” to humanity.
He also said that both countries also agree that “concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism” and that they will together alert the international community.
Sisi, who held talks with Modi, said that they shared a “common perspective” and that joint cooperation will help eliminate violence because the spread of violence, terrorism and extremist ideology represents a serious threat not only to the two countries, but also to all countries around the world.
Modi and Sisi, according to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, had a “warm and productive conversation”, after which they decided to elevate the bilateral partnership to the level of a “strategic partnership”. Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Egypt on June 24-25 is the culmination of a series of carefully calibrated initiatives taken by India over the last year or so. These include the decision to invite Egypt, along with UAE and Oman, as India’s special guests to the summit and to the scores of other events being organised during our G20 presidency. They also reflect the important groundwork done during the Cairo visits of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in September and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in October 2022. These paved the way for the invitation to President Abdel Fattah al Sisi to participate as chief guest on India’s Republic Day in January 2023. PM Modi’s visit a mere five months later, to be followed by President Sisi’s return to New Delhi in September for the G20 Summit, marks a frequency of interaction that has been entirely missing since the golden years of the relationship in the 1950s when Prime Minister Nehru and President Nasser connected frequently. Read more
During his stay in Egypt, the prime minister will be visiting the Heliopolis War Memorial. This is a memorial which has been erected by the Commonwealth but it is a memorial for 3,799 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in various battles in Egypt during the First World War. They were essentially defending Egypt from attacks from the Ottoman forces, Ajit Gupte, India's Ambassador to Egypt, said to PTI in an interview.
Prime Minister Modi will be arriving in Cairo Saturday evening at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997.
He will also visit the 11th Century Al-Hakim mosque, restored with the help of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The mosque was built during the Fatimid dynasty. The Bora community in India actually originated from the Fatima dynasty and they have renovated the mosque from the 1970s onwards.
"Also, there is a memorial for 600 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in Yemen in the first world war so it is a very moving moment when Prime Minister will visit and he will be acknowledging the sacrifices made by Indians for international peace," Gupte added. (PTI)
Indian community in Egypt is ecstatic and upbeat about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the country. The community members said that they were waiting for PM Modi for the last nine years ever since he became the Prime Minister of India and are excited to welcome him.After concluding his four-day State visit to the United States, PM Modi on Friday (local time) departed for Egypt. This will be a two-day and his first tour to Egypt.
Speaking to ANI, Deepti Singh, President of the Indian Community in Egypt, said, "It's going to be great to have PM Narendra Modi here, and we are very excited to welcome him. The Indian community in Egypt has been waiting for him to visit Egypt ever since he became the Prime Minister. Everyone is preparing for this visit." "People of Egypt like India because of civilization and Bollywood. We are proud of the work done by PM Modi, starting from infrastructure to COVID-19 vaccine. Modi ji has proved his mettle and is one of the most powerful leaders of the world. Our image in Egypt has got better due to PM Modi. We now feel proud and honoured when people tell us that you are coming from the biggest economy," she said. (ANI)
Egypt and India have had close defence ties, said India's ambassador to Egypt, Ajit Gupte to PTI in an interview.
"They have been participating for many years in joint exercises, training programmes, etc. But in the last two years, our defence cooperation has grown from strength to strength, and I'm happy to convey that 30 Indian defence delegations have visited Egypt in the last two years while from Egypt about seven defence delegations have gone to India," he said.
Prime Minister Modi will be arriving in Cairo Saturday evening at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997.
For the first time ever, there were joint exercises between the fighter aircraft of the air forces of India and Egypt.
"From Egypt, we were very happy to have received an Egyptian military Convention, which led the Republic Day Parade this year... We also had for the first time ever, joint exercises between our Special Forces in the desert in Rajasthan," he said. (PTI)
India's multi-faceted relations with Egypt, which was elevated to a ‘Strategic Partnership' this year, will receive further impetus with the first state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this key Middle East nation, said India's ambassador to Egypt, Ajit Gupte to PTI in an interview.
Prime Minister Modi will be arriving in Cairo Saturday evening at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997.
'We had the pleasure of receiving President Sisi as the Chief Guest at our Republic Day celebrations this year,' PM Modi noted. These two visits in the span of a few months are 'a reflection of our rapidly evolving partnership' with Egypt, which was elevated to a ‘Strategic Partnership' during President Sisi's visit, Modi said. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay his respects at the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial in the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt, where the names of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who fought in Word War 1 in Egypt and Palestine are commemorated. The Heliopolis Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery also commemorates 1,700 Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War 2.
Man Aman Singh Chhina explains the significance of Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial
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