For the first state visit of his two-nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. He received an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who also extended it to Prime Minister Modi when he attended the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi in January as the primary guest.
The moment PM Modi touched down in Cairo, he was welcomed ceremoniously with a guard of honor and met by his Egyptian counterpart, Mostafa Madbouly, at the airport. Apart from his discussions with President El-Sisi, the prime minister "is likely to interact with senior dignitaries from the Egyptian government, some well-known Egyptian personalities, as well as the Indian community in Egypt," according to the Ministry of external affairs.
"Relations between India and Egypt are based on ancient trade and economic linkages as well as cultural and deep-rooted people-to-people ties," it was noted.
Members of the Indian community in Cairo welcomed PM Modi with open arms. The trip is extremely significant because it is PM Modi's first trip to Egypt in his capacity as a leader and the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM in 26 years. Based on years of communication and collaboration on bilateral, regional, and international problems, India and Egypt have a strong political knowledge of one another. On August 18, 1947, the two countries jointly announced the start of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.
Throughout his visit, PM Modi will interact with various leaders and members of the Indian diaspora. He will also meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and participate in a roundtable discussion with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
The PM will also pay respects to the Indian troops who gave their lives fighting for Egypt in the First World War by visiting the Heliopolis War Grave Cemetery during his first trip to Egypt.
🇮🇳 PM Modi in Egypt: 🇪🇬 Egyptian girl sings Hindi song to welcome Indian Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/rUjULSugI6
— Koustuv 🇮🇳 🧠(@srdmk01) June 24, 2023
