India, Egypt to elevate relations to strategic partnership, take bilateral trade to $12 bn

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India and Egypt have decided to elevate their bilateral relations to the level of a "strategic partnership".

He further said that both the nations have decided to take bilateral trade to $12 billion in the next five years.

In his remarks after discussions with visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Modi said, "At one side of the Arabian Sea is India and on the other side is Egypt. Strategic cooperation between the two countries will help in promoting peace and prosperity in the entire region. So in today's meeting, President Sisi and I decided to elevate our bilateral partnership to the level of 'Strategic Partnership'. We have decided that under the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership, we will develop a long-term framework of greater cooperation in political, security, economic and scientific fields."

He said that both he and President Sisi closely observed the adverse effects on healthcare infrastructure and global supply chains during the Covid pandemic.

"President Sisi and I have remained in close contact during this challenging period, and both countries have sent each other immediate assistance in times of need. Today, we have held extensive discussions on strengthening the food and pharma supply chains affected by Covid and the Ukraine conflict. We also agreed on the need to increase mutual investment and trade in these areas," Modi said.