Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi conferred Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ‘Order of the Nile’ award, the country’s highest state honour. They discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries with a focus on improving trade and investments, energy ties and people-to-people connect.
El-Sisi welcomed Modi, who is on a two-day state visit to Egypt, at the Presidential Palace where the two leaders were closeted for one-on-one meeting. Modi also visited the historic 11th-century Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo on Sunday, which was restored with the help of India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. He later paid tributes to Indian soldiers who fought the World War I in Egypt and Palestine at the war cemetery.
This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 26 years.
Modi began his maiden state visit to Egypt by holding discussions with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly. Seven members of the Egyptian Cabinet, led by Madbouly, were present at the meeting with Modi. This first official engagement was a meeting with the India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by President El-Sisi in March to further enhance the relationship with India