India & Egypt Boost Ties Through Prime Minister Modi’s Two-Day Visit To Cairo
India’s Prime Minister (PM) Modi arrived to Cairo this Saturday, marking his first trip to Egypt in a two-day visit. The visit aimed to bolster ties between the two countries through several meetings, the most prominent being an official meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and PM Modi on Sunday. The talks covered many areas including trade and investment, renewable energy, information technology and pharmaceuticals.
Based on a statement by Modi’s office, “Prime Minister (Modi) and President Sisi also discussed further cooperation in G-20, highlighting the issues of food and energy insecurity, climate change and the need for Global South to have a concerted voice.”
The visit comes at a time when both countries have already been sharing strong political and economic relations especially with Egypt being one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent. Last year, the volume of their trade exchange amounted to $7.26 billion which is 75% higher than the preceding year.
Along with boosting ties with Egypt, during his two-day visit to Cairo, PM Modi also visited the 11th Century Al Hakim Mosque that was renovated by Bohra Muslims. They are known to be an offshoot of the Shi’ite sect who have a large presence in PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Beyond that, the two countries constantly maintain ties with several international visits as President El-Sisi made a visit to India back in January, becoming the first ever Egyptian president to be the chief guest during India’s Republic Day.
