Modi in Egypt: India PM woos diaspora in Cairo, meets India Unit officials

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (24) reached Egypt after concluding his three-day state visit to the US where he met president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday (25) and visited Al-Haqim Mosque and Heliopolis War Grave cemetery, among other engagements.

Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Egypt on a bilateral visit since 1997 when IK Gujral had set foot on the North African country.

On Saturday, Modi, who was personally received by Egyptian prime minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Cairo airport, later met members of the Indian diaspora in Egypt, including those from the Dawoodi Bohra community, which has a considerable presence in India.

The Indian prime minister's office later said that Modi appreciated the diaspora for their achievements and acknowledged their role in cementing friendship between the two nations.

Modi also tweeted about his meeting with the Indian diaspora in Egypt, saying, "Deeply moved by the warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Egypt. Their support and affection truly embody the timeless bonds of our nations. Also noteworthy was people from Egypt wearing Indian dresses. Truly, a celebration of our shared cultural linkages."

Following his arrival in Cairo, Modi met an India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by president El-Sisi in March to enhance the relations between India and Egypt. The meeting also saw participation of seven members of the Egyptian cabinet, led by prime minister Madbouly.

The talks reportedly focussed on strengthening trade relations and enhancing strategic engagements between the two nations.

Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Indian ministry of external affairs, said in a tweet, "In his first engagement in Cairo, PM @narendramodi held a meeting with the newly setup India Unit in the Egyptian Cabinet @CabinetEgy, headed by PM Mostafa Madbouly. Seven Cabinet Ministers and senior officials were present in the meeting."

The official said that the discussions focussed on "deepening cooperation across a range of areas including trade and investment, renewable energy, green hydrogen, IT, digital payment platforms, pharma and people to people ties".

India had invited El-Sisi to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi in January. Stressing that his visit to Egypt within five months of that visit showed the deepening ties between the two nations, Modi said in a statement on June 20, the day he departed for the two-nation tour, "We had the pleasure of receiving president Sisi as the chief guest at our Republic Day celebrations this year. These two visits in the span of a few months are a reflection of our rapidly evolving partnership with Egypt, which was elevated to a 'Strategic Partnership' during president Sisi's visit."