India and Egypt Agree to Raise Relations to Strategic Alliance
India and Egypt agreed to raise their bilateral relations to the rank of strategic alliance on Wednesday. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President Abdelfatah al Sisi discussed increasing cooperation in the areas of politics, security, economy and science.
They stressed the need to combat terrorism, which is seen as “the greatest threat to the security of humanity” by both countries. They exchanged five memorandums of understanding on topics such as cybersecurity and collaboration in the field of information technology.
Both leaders also discussed energy and tourism issues. Al Sisi said they talked about cooperation in the sustainable hydrogen and renewable energy sectors, and connectivity between the two countries to increase tourism.
They agreed to increase bilateral trade to $12 billion in the coming years. Al Sisi is currently visiting India as part of a four-day visit. He will attend the traditional Republic Day parade tomorrow as the main guest.
This is Modi and al Sisi’s second visit to India. They had already decided to increase cooperation on security and international assistance in 2016, as well as explore economic cooperation mechanisms.
