New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Egypt this month, making it his first ever visit to the African nation since he assumed office in 2014, news agency PTI reported. According to diplomatic sources quoted by PTI, his visit comes six months after the two countries elevated their relations to a level of strategic partnership.
According to the sources, his visit is set to boost cooperation in areas including trade, investment, agriculture and defence. However, there has been no official announcement on PM Modi's trip to Egypt yet.
PM Modi's visit to Egypt is set to be alongside his trip to the US.
Notably, Egypt has been one of India's most important trading partners in the African continent. Over 450 Indian companies are registered in Egypt, of which around 50 are active in various sectors with a combined investment exceeding USD 3 billion, according to official data.
The relation between India and Egypt were elevated to the level of strategic partnership during Egyptian President Abdeh Fattah El-Sisi's visit to India in January. In the talks, the two leaders decided to take the volume of bilateral trade to USD 12 billion in the next five years from around USD 7 billion at present.
It is to be noted that the defence and strategic relations between the two nations have been on an upswing over the last few years. The Indian and Egyptian Armies conducted the first-ever joint exercise earlier in January this year.
Egypt has already shown interest in procuring Tejas light combat aircraft, radars, military helicopters and other platforms from India.
In July last year, the Indian Air Force took part in a month-long tactical leadership programme in Egypt with three Su-30 MKI jets and two C-17 transport aircraft. In September, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid a three-day visit to the African country.