India Egypt Relations: Due to which Pakistan’s anti-India resolution could not be passed, Modi is going to meet him, how this new friendship blossomed after Nehru and Nasser

Pandit Nehru, Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser and Yugoslavian President TT laid the foundation of the Non-Aligned Movement 62 years ago in April 1961. The aim was that we will neither be with any power block nor in opposition to them. Made a different world of his own by giving the minister of India’s foreign policy ‘Na Kahu Se Dosti Na Kahu Se Bair’. At present, there is upheaval in the whole world. Russia-Ukraine war, India’s tension with China and disputes with almost all countries bordering China. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues. Iran and Pakistan are struggling with inflation. Türkiye and Sweden are at loggerheads. The dictator of North Korea continues to threaten America, Japan and South Korea with missiles. That means something or the other is happening all over the world. But in the midst of all the circumstances, geo politics also seems to be taking a fast turn. The eyes of all countries are fixed on India. What is he doing, how is he maintaining relations with whom, with whom is he opposing, with whom is he developing friendship. Be it America or Russia, China or Japan, everyone’s eyes are constantly fixed on it. Amidst all this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to pay separate state visits to the United States and Egypt from June 20 to 25. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced this. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi’s US visit will begin in New York, where he will lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21. On his return from America, Modi will visit Egypt. The visit is expected to strengthen cooperation in areas like trade, investment, agriculture, defence. People familiar with the matter told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Egypt to take forward cooperation in areas ranging from security to renewable energy.

State visit to Egypt from 24 to 25 June

PM Modi will visit Egypt on the second leg of his two-nation tour. This will be Modi’s first visit to Egypt as Prime Minister. He will visit Cairo on a state visit to Egypt from 24 to 25 June. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to Delhi on January 26, 2023 as the chief guest at India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations. Explain that both the countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

meeting dignitaries and others

In addition to his talks with President Sisi, the Prime Minister is expected to interact with senior dignitaries of the Government of Egypt, some prominent Egyptian personalities as well as the Indian community in Egypt. Relations between India and Egypt are based on ancient trade and economic ties as well as deep cultural and people-to-people ties. During the state visit of President Sisi to India in January, it was agreed to elevate the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership.

Egypt did not attend the G20 meeting held in Kashmir

On May 22, none of the delegates from Egypt reached the G20 meeting, so Pakistan’s happiness knew no bounds. Apart from Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia also did not attend the meeting. Explain that Egypt is not a member of the G20. He was invited to attend the meeting as a guest. Despite this, Egypt did not participate in this meeting.

The journey had to be postponed due to the Kovid epidemic

In 2020, Prime Minister Modi was going to visit Egypt, but due to the Kovid epidemic, the visit had to be postponed. In October 2022, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar visited Egypt. At that time the Foreign Minister had said that Prime Minister Modi has a very good personal relationship with President Al Sisi. He wanted to go to Egypt for some time, but due to Kovid it could not be possible. S Jaishankar further said that I can assure that Egypt visit is on the mind of Prime Minister Modi.

First Nehru and Nasser, now PM Modi-Al Sisi

When the period of Cold War was going on after World War II and most of the countries of the world were divided into two countries under the leadership of Communist Soviet Union and Capitalist America. Along with this, the end of colonial rule started in most parts of the world and many new countries started emerging on the world map in Asia, Africa, South America and other regions. In this period, the Non-Aligned Movement provided a strong basis for these countries to increase mutual cooperation by keeping an independent foreign policy by staying away from both the factions. India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Yugoslavia’s President Joseph Broz Tito and Egypt’s President Gamal Abdul Nasser played an important role in its establishment. It is said that at the political level the two countries were so close that India sent secret military material to Egypt during the Suez Crisis of 1956. India’s relations with Egypt have been consistently cordial, except for a few years in the late 1970s and early 80s. In the late 1970s, Cairo moved closer to the US, distancing itself from the Soviet-led bloc. At that time, for a few years, the mutual relations between the two countries were a bit relaxed. There have been four visits of Prime Minister from India to Egypt since the 1980s. In 1985 when Rajiv was the Prime Minister. Then during PV Narasimha Rao’s tenure, IK Gujral (1997) and Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. The then President Mohamed Morsi visited India in March 2013. After the new government led by President Sisi took office in June 2014, the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Cairo in August 2015. PM Modi meeting President Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York in September 2015. Pranab Mukherjee and PM Modi meeting Sisi during the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in October 2015. President Sisi also paid a state visit to India in September 2016. A joint statement was issued, outlining the three pillars of political-security cooperation, economic engagement and scientific cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people ties as the basis for a new partnership.

Defense and Security Cooperation

The condition of education in Egypt is very bad. He wants help from India. Egypt is still a strong military power in North Africa and West Asia. Then the kind of development that is happening in Israel, Egypt is not able to match it. That’s why Egypt needs military help too. Egypt wants a lot from India in the defense sector. In the year 2022, India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited Egypt. During that time he had bilateral talks with the Defense Minister of Egypt as well as with President El Sisi. During this, the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding related to increasing cooperation on joint training, production of defense materials and maintenance of equipment. The security of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea are aspects that enhance Egypt’s India and Indian Ocean connections. Egypt is responsible for the security of the Suez Canal. Egypt has strategic importance in the Indian Pacific region. In such a situation, a strong partnership with Egypt will further strengthen India’s position in the Indo-Pacific region.

Egypt eyes on becoming a member of BRICS

Egypt is eyeing to become a member of the BRICS organization. Egypt had also applied for it in July last year. In 2021, Egypt became a member of the BRICS New Development Bank. Egyptian President El Sisi would like to get India’s support for BRICS membership with the help of closeness with India. Last year there was a conference of Islamic countries. In that, Pakistan had brought a resolution against India. It could not pass because of strong objections from Egypt. In this way Egypt is showing goodwill gesture towards India.

What is the status of bilateral trade relations?

Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent. The India-Egypt bilateral trade agreement has been in operation since March 1978 and is based on the Most Favored Nation clause. Bilateral trade has grown more than five times in the last 10 years. It reached US$ 4.55 billion in 2018-19. Despite the pandemic, the trade volume declined marginally to USD 4.5 billion in 2019-20 and to USD 4.15 billion in 2020-21. 7.26 billion with a growth of 75 per cent over FY 2020-2021. Bilateral trade has expanded rapidly in 21-22.