India s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
In a press conference held with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry following their talks, Jaishankar said that Egypt will add “great value” to the G20 meetings, and that the issues to be discussed at the summit include climate change and supporting developing countries.
The Indian FM also said that Egypt and India have agreed to “increase trade and cooperation between the Egyptian and Indian markets as well as the investments between them,” adding that Indian investments in Egypt exceed $3 billion.
“Last year was our highest-ever trade in excess of $7.2 billion,” he said.
Jaishankar also said that he discussed with Shoukry India’s plans to invest in pipelines, renewable energy and industry in Egypt.
The top diplomats also discussed boosting tourism between the two countries.
The Indian FM also revealed in the presser that an Indian university is in the works to open a branch in Egypt.
“Our tech institutes that are looking forward to international collaboration will find Egypt a suitable partner,” Jaishankar said.
Concerning the cooperation between Egypt and India in health and pharmaceuticals, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian minister said that there is cooperation between the two countries in vaccines and that Indian companies are looking at Egypt as a gateway for exporting products to Africa.
Aside from bilateral economic relations, the two foreign ministers discussed recent developments including the Russia-Ukraine crisis and its impact on grain and energy supplies.
Egypt, which is the world’s largest wheat importer and which obtained 80 percent of its imported wheat from Ukraine and Russia prior to their war, has imported thousands of tons of wheat from India this summer as part of its plan to diversify its wheat import sources.
Minister Jaishankar also highlighted the recent cooperation between India and Egypt in security and defence and how the two countries have held joint military drills.
Last month, Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh visited Egypt to probe cooperation between Cairo and New Delhi.
For his part, Egyptian FM Shoukry said that increasing cooperation and expansion of trade and investment serves the interests of both Egypt and India.
Minister Jaishankar is currently on a two-day visit to Egypt, as Cairo and New Delhi mark 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
On the first day of his visit, the Indian FM met with Secretary of the League of Arab States Ahmed Abu El-Gheit.
Jaishankar also met with members of the Indian community in Cairo on Tuesday, according to the Indian embassy in Cairo.
He also visited El-Horreya Park in Cairo’s Zamalek, where he paid homage to a bust of Mahatma Gandhi.
Jaishankar also paid his respect to the memory of Indian soldiers at the Heliopolis Commonwealth war cemetery in Cairo.
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