WALK THE TALK LIKE EGYPTIAN-INDIAN TIES

India and Egypt on January 26, 2023, ‘74th Republic Day’ reiterated support for the Non-Aligned Movement. In a joint statement issued after the end of bilateral engagements for President Abdel Fattah elSisi, who was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path, both countries expressed desire for exchange of technology between their defence industries.

“The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, the founding values of the NonAligned Movement, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” they said in the joint statement. Sisi arrived here on January 24, 2023 and held restricted and delegation-level talks at the Hyderabad House, where he and PM Modi hailed bilateral diplomatic relations between India and Egypt.

India and Egypt agreed to “initiate new engagements to intensify military-to-military engagements” and planned more joint exercises between the armed forces of the two countries. The joint statement expressed support to safeguard cultural principles and said, “The two sides take into consideration the cultural and social sensitivities of all states and, in this regard, they agreed to work together to promote and safeguard these basic principles through regular consultations and coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels.” The two governments agreed to fight terrorism in all forms, “including cross-border terrorism” and intensify consultation between their respective National Security Councils.

MONI SHARMA The writer is Editor (News) in First India, Jaipur