India and Egypt to develop bilateral ties

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Jan 2023 00:08

The leaders agreed to expand their defense cooperation through developing military technology exchange and joint training.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, 25 January 2023 (Reuters)

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, Egypt and India have decided to enhance their joint research efforts and expand their cooperation in space cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi in New Delhi earlier in the week. A high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Energy Minister Mohamed El-Markabi, and other senior Egyptian officials, accompanied the Egyptian president on his official visit to India.

"The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in the field of space by utilizing India's expertise in building and launching satellites and space technology applications. They considered strengthening cooperation in space research in areas such as remote sensing, satellite communication, space science, and practical applications of space technology," a statement released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry read.

Both Modi and Sisi praised the development of economic ties between the two nations during the meeting, which has been temporarily hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the ministry, bilateral trade between Egypt and India reached $7.26 billion in 2021–2022.

"They [the leaders] expressed confidence that a bilateral trade target of US$ 12 billion could be achieved within the next five years by both countries, by diversifying the trade basket and focusing on value addition," the statement added.

The leaders also agreed to expand their defense cooperation through developing military technology exchange and joint training.