PM Modi lands in Egypt for first state visit in 26 years, received at airport by PM Mostafa Madbouly
1 min read 24 Jun 2023, 06:19 PM ISTIndian PM Modi arrived in Egypt for a two-day state visit, the first bilateral trip by an Indian PM in 26 years. He will meet Egyptian leaders and hold a roundtable meeting.
PremiumPrime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Egypt for a two day state visit on Saturday afternoon - the first bilateral trip by any Indian PM in 26 years. He was received by his Egyptian counterpart - Mostafa Madbouly - at the airport and will also inspect a guard of honour upon arrival. Modi is slated to hold a roundtable meeting with the Egyptian PM and also meet President El-Sisi. The development comes mere hours after the PM concluded a US state visit.
This is his first visit to Egypt as PM and the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 26 years. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had extended an invitation to Modi in January this year as he attended Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
During the course of his two day trip, Modi will hold a roundtable meeting with Madbouly and interact with President El-Sisi. He will also meet members of the Indian community living in the African nation.
“We all are very thrilled to meet PM Modi in Cairo. Around 300-350 people have been invited here to meet the PM today," Deepti Singh, President of the Indian Community Association in Egypt told ANI.
The PM arrived at the Ritz Carlton hotel to a rousing welcome and chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Modi Modi'. He also interacted with children present in the area as others sang Indian songs and presented cultural programmes to welcome PM Modi.
The MEA said that Modi would be meeting with the President on Sunday (local time). The PM will also spend nearly half an hour at the historic Al-Hakim Mosque tomorrow. He will also visit the Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who were killed while fighting for Egypt during the First World War.
Egypt has traditionally been one of India's most important trading partners in the African continent and the Bilateral Trade Agreement between the two nations has been in operation since March 1978. It is based on the Most Favored Nation clause, according to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. The two countries also share a close political understanding based on a long history of contact and cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues.
(With inputs from agencies)
