PM Modi, Egyptian President sign pact to elevate ties to 'Strategic Partnership'

Cairo: India and Egypt on Sunday elevated their relationship to a 'Strategic Partnership' as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held wide-ranging talks with a particular focus on enhancing political and security cooperation.

Modi, who is visiting Egypt at the invitation of President Sisi, held one-on-one conversation with El-Sisi during which they also took stock of what is happening on important issues of the region and the world.

Addressing a media briefing on the visit by Modi, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt in 26 years, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said four MoUs and agreements were signed, including the "most important and landmark" one on the "Strategic Partnership" between India and Egypt.

"The two leaders had a private one-on-one conversation during which, following up on the India visit of President Sisi earlier this year, the two leaders discussed a whole range of bilateral cooperation and also took stock of what is happening on important issues of the region and the world," Kwatra said.

"It was clear from those discussions and the MoU and agreements signed later on that the two leaders gave a particular focus on enhancing the political and security cooperation, defence collaboration, trade and investment ties, scientific and academic collaboration and strengthening of people to people ties," he said.

Besides the agreement on strategic partnership, the two countries also signed three more pacts on -- agriculture and allied sectors; protection and preservation of monuments and archaeological sites; and competition law, the Foreign Secretary said.