India-Egypt Relations

June 5, 2023

Context:

The first time an Egyptian President (Abdel Fattah El-Sisi) has been invited as chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in India.

History of Relationships:

The history of contact between India and Egypt, two of the world’s oldest civilisations, can be traced back to at least the time of Emperor Ashoka.
Ashoka’s edicts refer to his relations with Egypt under Ptolemy-II.
In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi and the Egyptian revolutionary Saad Zaghloul shared the common goal of independence from British colonial rule.
The diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level was made on 18 August 1947.
India’s PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser signed the Friendship Treaty between the two countries, and they were key to forming the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM in 1961) along with Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.

The Recent Engagements:

During this year’s meeting, both India and Egypt agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership”.
The strategic partnership will have broadly four elements: political, defence, and security; economic engagement; scientific and academic collaboration; cultural and people-to-people contacts.
India has invited Egypt as a special guest for the G-20 summit.
Exercise Cyclone-I – first ever exercise between Indian Army and Egyptian Army was conducted recently.
India and Egypt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for three years to facilitate content exchange, capacity building, and co-productions between Prasar Bharati and the National Media Authority of Egypt.
Under the pact, both broadcasters will exchange their programmes of different genres like sports, news, culture and entertainment on a bilateral basis.

Bilateral Relations:

Both have had a bilateral trade agreement since 1978 based on the most-favoured nation clause (India provided the MFN status to Egypt).
The bilateral trade has increased more than five times in the past 10 years.

Areas of Cooperation

Agriculture: Egypt is currently facing a shortage of food grains as its major sources were the warring Ukraine and Russia. India allowed the export of 61,000 tonnes of wheat to Egypt.

Cyber security & IT and to end cross-border terrorism.

Healthcare

Culture: The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) was established in Cairo in 1992. The center has been promoting cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Youth matters and Broadcasting
Investment: Egypt is seeking investments in infrastructure including Metro projects, a Suez Canal economic zone, a second channel of the Suez Canal, and a new administrative capital in Egypt. More than 50 Indian companies have invested in Egypt.

Geo-Strategic Concerns:

China’s bilateral trade with Egypt is currently at USD 15 billion, double that of India’s USD 7.26 billion in 2021-22. During the past eight years, the President of Egypt has traveled to China seven times to lure Chinese investments.
Egypt, the most populous country in West Asia, occupies a crucial geo-strategic location — 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal and is a key player in the region.

Conclusion:

Egypt is a major market for India and can act as a gateway to both Europe and Africa, can help in improving ties with Muslim-majority countries and together put a stronger voice in UNSC for developing nations.

News Source: The Indian Express