In Cairo, Rajnath meets Egyptian counterpart, plans to expand defence ties

New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met his Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Zaki in Cairo and discussed plans to expand bilateral defence ties as well as numerous other initiatives to increase cooperation in the defence sector between the two countries.

“Had an excellent meeting with Egypt’s Defence Minister, General Mohamed Zaki in Cairo. We had wide-ranging discussions on several initiatives to further expand bilateral defence engagements. Signing of the MoU on Defence Cooperation adds new impetus and synergy to our relations,” Singh tweeted after his meeting with the Egyptian minister.

Both countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation indicating that the step would go a long way to boost defence ties between India and Egypt, specially in the backdrop of India rebuilding its defence manufacturing sector with emphasis on self-reliance and indigenously built military equipment.

Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Egypt, also met the Mediterranean nation’s President, H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Cairo and discussed mutual trust-building measures between the two nations.

“Privileged to call on the President of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Cairo today. India and Egypt continue to work on enhancing mutual trust and confidence. It was reaffirmed that both the countries are committed to expanding our multi-faceted cooperation,” the Indian defence minister said in a second tweet.

This year, 2022, is of importance since it marks the 75^th anniversary of cordial diplomatic relations between India and Egypt. During his three-day long visit, Singh also mentioned that Egypt was one of India’s most important trading partners in the African region and that bilateral trade had significantly increased over the last decade.

Currently, Egypt is one of the leading investment destinations for India with an existing investment and projects worth USD 3.15 billion and with several Indian firms involved in executing infrastructural projects in the Mediterranean nation.

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