New Delhi bids farewell to Egyptian President El-Sisi, says his visit opened new chapter in bilateral ties

New Delhi [India], January 27 : President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who was the first Egyptian premier to have been invited as the chief guest at India's 74th Republic Day Parade on Thursday, emplaned for his homeland on Friday.
Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said President El-Sisi's visit elevated India-Egypt ties to a strategic partnership and opened a new chapter in their bilateral relationship.
"Bid farewell to H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi@AlsisiOfficial. Apart from being the hon'rd Chief Guest of @ the 74th Republic Day Celebrations, your visit has taken India-Egypt ties to a Strategic Partnership & opened a new chapter in bilateral ties.@MEAIndia @indembcairo," tweeted Singh.
During his visit, India and Egypt elevated ties to a 'strategic partnership' featuring four key pillars -- "political and security cooperation, cultural, scientific, and people to people contact."
Exuding confidence in India, El-Sisi said under New Delhi's presidency, the G20 will be successful in achieving its goal.
The two countries decided to work together during India's Presidency and reiterated that the interests and priorities of the Global South be given due attention and focus in key global forums, including the G20.
India and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, the founding values of the Non-Aligned Movement, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
The two sides took into consideration the cultural and social sensitivities of all states and, in this regard, they agreed to work together to promote and safeguard these basic principles through regular consultations and coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels.
As per the statement, PM Modi and President El-Sisi reiterated their common resolve to promote the values of peace, tolerance, and inclusiveness and make concerted efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremist ideologies.
They emphasised the need for a holistic approach to counter terrorism and violent extremism, which includes inter alia disrupting the use of the internet and social media and preventing the use of religious centers to radicalize youth and recruit terrorist cadres.
Both leaders also agreed on the need to hold the JWG on Counter-Terrorism on regular basis to exchange information and best practices. The two sides further agreed on enhancing interaction between their respective National Security Councils, as per the official statement.
Talking about the financial data, both the leaders appreciated the strong bilateral economic engagement and expressed satisfaction at the current level of bilateral trade at a record high of USD 7.26 billion in 2021-22, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
They expressed confidence that a bilateral trade target of USD 12 billion could be achieved within the next five years by both countries, by diversifying the trade basket and focusing on value addition.
The Egyptian side welcomed the flow of more Indian investments and promises to offer incentives and facilities as per applicable regulations and frameworks. On its part, India underlined its support for this approach by encouraging its companies.
The Egyptian side also considered the possibility of allocating a special area for the Indian industries in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ), and the Indian side can arrange for the master plan, according to the statement.
Egypt also took note of India's candidature for a non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2029-29.
The two leaders highlighted the leading role of India and Egypt in the maintenance of international peace and security by being among the ten largest troop and police contributing countries to the United Nations peacekeeping missions. They reaffirmed the importance of ensuring the participation of troop-contributing countries in the decision-making process of such operations.
During his visit from January 24-27, President El-Sisi attended India's 74th Republic Day parade as the chief guest. He was the first Egyptian premier to have been invited to the Republic Day parade.
During the Republic Day Parade, a military contingent of the Egyptian Army marched towards the saluting dais on the Kartavya Path for the first time.