On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day of India, Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte and his wife Priti organised on Thursday a reception party at Conrad Cairo Hotel.

The party was attended by an array of senior officials, cabinet members and public figures. Heading the list were Minister of Culture Nevine El-Kilany, Minister of Public Enterprises Sector Mahmoud Essmat, Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbass, and President of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Mohamed El-Orabi.

The Indian ambassador greeted all of them with bouquets of flowers.

Addressing his guests, the Indian ambassador praised the historical ties between his country and Egypt as two of the world’s most ancient civilizations that have been in close contact for many centuries. 

Gupte said that the past few months witnessed “multiple high-level visits from India to Egypt, beginning with Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh in September 2022, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar in October 2022 and Minister of Environment Mr. Bhupender Yadav in November 2022. Substantive discussions at different levels were held during these visits. An important MoU on Defence Cooperation was also signed during the visit of the Indian Defence Minister.”

He added that India has also invited Egypt “as a Guest Country to G20 during its Presidency period of 2022-23 and it is expected that the two countries will cooperate extensively under this umbrella as well.”

Gupte noted that in light of the recent threats facing the world it was “imperative that the countries come closer to realise a sustainable solution. India has always stood by our friends and have also remained in the forefront in supporting an international rule-based order. Today we renew this commitment, guided by our own culture ethos and constitutional values as well as our deep desire for peace, security and stability.”

Speaking of President El-Sisi’s imminent visit to Delhi, Gupte said "we are looking forward to the upcoming visit of President El-Sisi as the Chief Guest of India’s National Day celebrations, which is indeed a momentous occasion for both countries and will undoubtedly herald a new dawn in our bilateral relations."

The party was also attended by former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, former Deputy Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Ezzat Saad, Secretary-General of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Hossam Ahmed Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, as well as heads of Arab and Foreign missions accredited in Egypt and members of the Indian community, media figures and businessmen.

The event featured a number of Indian dance shows performed by Egyptian dancers who received their training at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture.

It also featured an exhibition of traditional handmade Indian products and a demonstration of the ways of wearing an Indian sari.