• India and Egypt held the 13th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi. 

• The discussions reviewed the entire gamut of India-Egypt bilateral relations with a renewed commitment to strengthen the Strategic Partnership. 

• Both sides also discussed avenues for further deepening of existing relations in political, economic, and socio-cultural areas.

India-Egypt relations

• India and Egypt, two of the world’s oldest civilisations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times. Ashoka’s edicts refer to his relations with Egypt under Ptolemy-II. 

• Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals on the independence of their countries, a relationship that was to blossom into an exceptionally close friendship between President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, leading to a Friendship Treaty between the two countries in 1955.

• The joint announcement of establishment of diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level was made on August 18, 1947. 

• Both countries have cooperated closely in multilateral fora and were the founding members of Non-Aligned Movement. 

• Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent. The India-Egypt Bilateral Trade Agreement has been in operation since March 1978 and is based on the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause and the bilateral trade has increased more than five times in the last 10 years. 

• In June 2023, India and Egypt elevated their relationship to a ‘Strategic Partnership’.

• Bilateral trade has expanded rapidly in 2021-22, amounting to $7.26 billion registering a 75 per cent increase compared to FY 2020-21. India’s exports to Egypt during this period amounted to $3.74 billion, registering a 65 per cent increase over the same period in FY 2020-21. At the same time, Egypt’s exports to India reached $3.52 billion registering an 86 per cent increase.

• During 2021-22, the top Indian imports from Egypt were mineral oil/petroleum, fertilisers, inorganic chemicals and cotton. Main items of export to Egypt from India were buffalo meat, iron & steel, light vehicles and cotton yarn.

• According to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), India was the third largest export market for Egypt, sixth largest trading partner and seventh largest exporter to Egypt.

• Bilateral mechanisms are in place to facilitate trade and economic relations between India and Egypt.

• Around 50 Indian companies have invested in various sectors in Egypt with a combined investment exceeding $3.15 billion. Egyptian investments in India are to the tune of $37 million.

• Space cooperation is an emerging vertical of cooperation between India and Egypt. 

• Egypt signed the International Solar Alliance framework agreement as a founding member in March 2018 and ratified it in January 2019.

• Egypt and India enjoy cordial defence relations. Most of the current defence cooperation is determined by Joint Defence Committee (JDC) activities. Starting in 2006, nine JDC meetings have been held alternately in either country, followed by exchange activities.

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