Article Posted on : - Sep 20, 2022

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Cairo. (Photo: PTI)

CAIRO (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo and the two leaders discussed bilateral military-to-military cooperation, with the latter emphasising that there is a need for both countries to exchange expertise and best practices in countering the threat of terrorism.

"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," tweeted Singh.

Singh, who is currently on a three-day visit to the Arab country beginning Sunday, also shared a photograph of him with the Egyptian President.

In New Delhi, the Defence Ministry in a statement said that Singh was "received very warmly by President El-Sisi, who pointed out that bilateral relations between India and Egypt are well-established through history".

Singh expressed appreciation for the firm stand taken by Egypt against terrorism, the statement said.

"President Sisi emphasised that there is need for India and Egypt to exchange expertise and best practices in countering the threat of terrorism," it said.

He expressed appreciation that military-to-military cooperation between both the countries has reached a new level and that signing of the MoU on defence cooperation is a major achievement, the statement said.

"Both leaders agreed to further develop military cooperation and focus on joint training, defence co-production and maintenance of equipment. They emphasised the need for co-production and to discuss specific proposals in that regard," it added.

During Singh's visit, the two sides will review bilateral defence ties, explore new initiatives to intensify military-to-military engagements and focus on deepening cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries.

Singh during his visit to Cairo also acknowledged that Egypt is among the "most important trading partners" of India in Africa and that bilateral trade has expanded significantly.

He noted with satisfaction the close cooperation in multilateral forums between India and Egypt, and conveyed his best wishes for the successful hosting of COP27 in November 2022.