{"id":1712,"date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/27-06-2023\/a-grand-revival-on-india-egypt-ties\/"},"modified":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","slug":"a-grand-revival-on-india-egypt-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/27-06-2023\/a-grand-revival-on-india-egypt-ties","title":{"rendered":"A grand revival: on India-Egypt Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

In Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Recently, India and Egypt upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
More about the partnership<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Egypt\u2019s significance:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Egypt, the most populous country in West Asia, occupies a crucial geo-strategic location \u2014 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal \u2014 and is a key player in the region.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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It is a major market for India and can act as a gateway to both Europe and Africa.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
It also has bilateral trade pacts with important West Asian and African nations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Upgrading the ties:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Upgrading to the Strategic Partnership is a significant move for India\u2019s ties with the <\/span><\/span><\/span>West Asia-North Africa (WANA) region<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> that is long overdue, given their historical ties.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
The two sides are also pursuing closer cooperation in <\/span><\/span><\/span>green energy, pharmaceuticals and defence<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, with MoUs in <\/span><\/span><\/span>agriculture, archaeology and antiquities, and competition law<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
India-Egypt Ties<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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History:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Ancient times:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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India\u2019s relations with Egypt began when the trade contacts between the two ancient civilizations grew along the <\/span><\/span><\/span>banks of the river Nile and the river Indus<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Under Nehru\u2019s leadership:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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During the Cold War, India and Egypt were united over their desire not to become \u201ccamp followers\u201d of either the U.S. or the Soviet Union.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
In 1955, Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser and India under Jawaharlal Nehru<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> became the founders of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Non-Aligned Movement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
During the <\/span><\/span><\/span>1956 War<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, Nehru stood supporting Egypt to the point of threatening to withdraw his country from the British Commonwealth.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
South-South Cooperation:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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They were also instrumental in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>G-77<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> grouping and <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cSouth-South Cooperation\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> initiatives.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Friendship Treaty & bilateral relations:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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The two nations became even closer in the 1950s and concluded a <\/span><\/span><\/span>historic Friendship Treaty in 1955.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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During the last couple of years, the traditionally strong bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries have received an impetus with <\/span><\/span><\/span>regular exchange of high-level meetings and contacts<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> between the two sides.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Trade & Commerce:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
The <\/span><\/span><\/span>India-Egypt Bilateral Trade Agreement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> has been in operation since March 1978 and is based on the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Most Favoured Nation clause<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Major Egyptian exports to India include:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Raw cotton, raw and manufactured fertilizers, oil and oil products, organic and non-organic chemicals, leather and iron products.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Major imports into Egypt from India are:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Cotton yarn, sesame, coffee, herbs, tobacco and lentils.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Mineral fuel; vehicle parts; Ship, boat and floating structure; cuts of boneless bovine frozen meat; and Electrical machinery and parts are also exported from India.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
There is a significant Indian presence in almost every field in Egypt.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Technical and Scientific Cooperation:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Technical cooperation and assistance have been a major part of the bilateral relationship.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Egyptian candidates visit India under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (ITEC).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
In the field of Scientific Cooperation, <\/span><\/span><\/span>ICAR and the Agricultural Research Center<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the Ministry of Agriculture & Land of Egypt signed a <\/span><\/span><\/span>MoU for cooperation in the field of agricultural research<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in 1998.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Cultural Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> was set up in Cairo in 1992\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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It aims to <\/span><\/span><\/span>promote cultural cooperation between the two countries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, through the implementation of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
The Centre, in addition to popularizing Indian culture through <\/span><\/span><\/span>Hindi, Urdu and Yoga classes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and the screening of movies, also organizes cultural festivals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
‘India by the Nile’ festival:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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It is a cultural festival <\/span><\/span><\/span>celebrated annually in Egypt<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
It brings the essence of India through classical, contemporary, performing and visual arts, food and popular culture in a language that amalgamates diverse cultural and artistic strands.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
The festival is produced by<\/span><\/span><\/span> Delhi-based M\/S Teamwork Arts and supported by ICCR and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
The defence partnership:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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It is being revived with among other developments the visit of the Indian Navy ship to Egypt, a month-long Air Force exercise and the visit of the Egyptian Air Force chief to India in recent months.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Recent developments in the India-Egypt ties<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Positions on Ukraine war:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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More recently, the positions of India and Egypt on the Ukraine war have been extremely similar \u2014 refusing to criticise Russia\u2019s actions but not condoning them either and calling for a diplomatic resolution.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
India\u2019s supply of wheat to Egypt:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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India\u2019s decision to supply wheat to Egypt, one of the world\u2019s biggest importers that was hit by the blockade on exports from Russia and Ukraine last year, before the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Black Sea Grain Initiative stepped in<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, won New Delhi much goodwill in Cairo.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Egypt\u2019s highest State Honour:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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President El-Sisi who was India\u2019s Republic Day chief guest this year, conferred <\/span><\/span><\/span>Egypt\u2019s highest State Honour, \u201cThe Order of The Nile\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, on Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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The award is given to world leaders and those \u201cwho offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Way ahead<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Bolstered by historical ties, and buffeted by present-day geopolitical turmoil, it is clear that India and Egypt are now essaying a closer relationship, one that looks both at future economies and autonomous foreign policies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Daily Mains Question<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
[Q]<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Upgrading to the Strategic Partnership with Egypt is a significant move for India\u2019s ties with the West Asia-North Africa (WANA) region. Examine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
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In Context Recently, India and Egypt upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership. More about the partnership Egypt\u2019s significance: Egypt, the most populous country in West Asia, occupies a crucial geo-strategic location \u2014 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal \u2014 and is a key player in the region.\u00a0 It is a major […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[30,34],"class_list":["post-1712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis","tag-gs-2","tag-india-foreign-relations"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/6197320Screenshot_2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}