Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who concluded a visit to Egypt, has confirmed that the countries have strengthened ties in areas including trade, food security, and defence.
A statement from Modi’s office said: “Prime Minister (Modi) and President Sisi also discussed further cooperation in the G-20, highlighting the issues of food and energy insecurity, climate change, and the need for the Global South to have a concerted voice.”
The statement added that the talks had also addressed defence and security ties.
Modi spent two days in Cairo and also paid a visit to the Al Hakim mosque, a Shi’ite branch with a sizable presence in Gujarat, Modi’s home state, which was refurbished at that time.
In part to ensure trade through the Suez Canal, India is thought to be eager to strengthen ties with Egypt. During the most recent fiscal year, it imported $1.95 billion while exporting $4.11 billion worth of commodities to Egypt.
Sources quoted by Reuters revealed that India was considering permitting Egypt to make purchases in rupees and to barter goods such as fertilizer and gas, despite facing a severe foreign currency shortage and struggling to attract foreign investment.
Both nations were founders of the Non-Aligned Movement and have worked closely together in multilateral forums. Last year marked the 75th anniversary of India and Egypt’s diplomatic relations, which bore special significance as relations between the countries grew significantly.