Next week, when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Republic Day celebrations in India as the primary guest, security, defence, cybersecurity, and agriculture are expected to dominate the bilateral discussion.
Egypt desires a substantial partnership with India in the areas of defence and agriculture, as well as in the information technology and culture sectors, for which the two nations are considering signing roughly six agreements. Egypt is interested in purchasing defence equipment from India, including LCA Tejas, Akash missiles, DRDO’s Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, and radars. This is being developed as part of cooperation in the defence industry, and one of the indicators is that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Cairo last year to sign a defence partnership.
President Sisi, a former military leader, is acutely aware of the geopolitical difficulties in the region and seeks to equip the Egyptian military accordingly.
In fact, in order to highlight the defence links, an Egyptian military unit will also be present at the Republic Day parade.
Egypt has been invited to participate in the Aero-India 2023 next month at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru as a follow-up to their interest in obtaining Indian indigenous technology.
Egypt is also responding, as India has been invited to participate in Exercise Bright Star – biannual joint training exercises led by US and Egyptian soldiers — in Egypt this September.
EXPLAINED
Aiming for closer partnership
With the upcoming visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to India, defence and security are a top priority. Egypt and India, both viewed as moderate voices in the area, would consider intensifying their collaboration in light of regional security threats. The Republic Day invitation will likely strengthen these relationships.
Egypt and India share a larger degree of agreement on the issue, making security cooperation another area of robust cooperation. India seeks a partnership with a nation where Sisi is reputed to have fought terrorism with an iron fist, given that Egypt faces the threat of terrorism. Details of a potential cybersecurity agreement are now being worked upon.
Egypt, which is experiencing a lack of food grains after Ukraine and Russia ceased to be its primary suppliers, also wishes to purchase wheat from India. In May of the previous year, India, which had prohibited the sale of wheat, authorised the export of 61,000 tonnes of wheat to Egypt. However, the country desires additional grains in light of the current shortages.
In addition to arriving at a time when the country is experiencing a severe economic crisis due to depleted foreign exchange reserves, Egypt’s president is also arriving at a time when the country is facing a tremendous economic disaster. There has been no request for budgetary assistance, but India is considering boosting its investments in the country, particularly in big infrastructure projects.
Sisi had visited India twice in the preceding nine years. However, this is the first time Egypt would be the principal guest at the Republic Day celebration. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Sisi, who arrives in India on January 24, will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 25 and take part in Republic Day festivities. The invitation to be the R-chief Day’s guest is extremely symbolic for India. New Delhi has been crafting a hospitality-based approach to choose the event’s principal guest.
