New Delhi/Cairo, June 24 (UNI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Egypt on Saturday afternoon on a State Visit, and voiced confidence that the visit would strengthen bilateral ties with the key Arab nation.
In a tweet, the PM said he looks forward to his talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“Landed in Cairo. I am confident this visit will strengthen India’s ties with Egypt. I look forward to talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and attending other programmes.”
Modi was received at the airport by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. He was accorded a ceremonial welcome and a guard of honour on his arrival.
PM Modi said in a tweet: “I thank Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly for the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport. May India-Egypt ties flourish and benefit the people of our nations.”
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said: “A momentous visit gets underway. PM @narendramodi sets foot in Cairo for his first State visit to Egypt. Accorded a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour upon arrival. In a special gesture, PM Mostafa Madbouly of Egypt received PM Modi at the airport. Prime Minister @narendramodi arrived in Cairo, Egypt a short while ago.”
PM Modi’s two-day visit to Egypt is his first to the key Arab nation, and the first official bilateral visit by an Indian PM in 26 years.
Previous visits to Egypt by Indian prime ministers had been as part of multilateral events.
Modi is visiting Egypt at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who had been Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations this year.
The PM arrived in Cairo from the US, where he was on a state visit. He is to interact with the India Unit, which is a select unit of high-level ministers set up by the Egyptian President in March this year after his return from India.
There have been an intense level of ministerial exchanges between the two countries over the last several months.
EAM S Jaishankar visited Egypt in October last year and called on President Sisi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in Egypt in September last year for bilateral talks, while Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav led the Indian delegation to the COP27 talks in Sharm El-Shaikh in Egypt.
Three-four ministerial visits have also taken place from Egypt to India, with the latest being of a ministerial level delegation led by the chairperson of the Suez Canal Authority.
PM Modi will have an interaction with the small Indian community in Egypt and is also likely to meet some of the prominent personalities in Egypt.
On June 25, the PM will begin the day with a visit to the Al Hakim Mosque, an 11th century mosque that has been refurbished by the Bohra community, he said.
The PM would then visit the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Cairo to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who died fighting in Egypt during World War One.
The PM will then hold his official engagements with the Egypt President, which will include bilateral talks and the signing of various agreements. After which he will embark for India.
The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, was in India in early May on a six-day visit at the invitation of an official body to deepen cultural links between the two sides and for meetings with Indian interlocutors to foster interfaith understanding.
India has also invited Egypt as special guest during India’s presidency of the G20.
