Egypt and India announced today, Sunday, that they discussed enhancing relations in areas such as trade, food security, and defense during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Cairo. During his visit, which is Modi's first to Egypt, he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egyptian ministers who are members of the "India Unit," a special unit for India established in the Egyptian Cabinet, following a state visit by Sisi to India in January when a "strategic partnership" between the two countries was announced.
The two sides stated that discussions on Sunday covered areas including trade, investment, renewable energy, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. A statement issued by Modi's office mentioned that "Prime Minister Modi and President Sisi also discussed enhancing cooperation within the G20 framework and highlighted issues such as food insecurity, energy, climate change, and the need for a coordinated voice from the Global South." The statement also noted that discussions included defense and security relations.
During his two-day visit to Cairo, Modi also visited the Al-Hakim Mosque, which dates back to the 11th century and was restored by the Dawoodi Bohra community, a Shia branch with a significant presence in Modi's home state of Gujarat. Since Modi, a Hindu nationalist, took office as Prime Minister, he has rarely visited mosques publicly.
