External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left on a two nation tour of Egypt and Germany on Sunday.
“Renewing a civilizational connect. EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs on her first visit to Egypt followed by Germany,” tweeted MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
Both countries are expected to review bilateral relationship with a particular focus on enhancing economic engagement during the External Affairs Minister’s visit.
India and Egypt, two of the world’s oldest civilizations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times. Since the 1980s, there have been four Prime Ministerial visits from India to Egypt: Rajiv Gandhi (1985); P. V. Narasimha Rao (1995); I. K. Gujral (1997); and Dr. Manmohan Singh (2009).
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh participated in the XV NAM Summit held in Sharm EI Sheikh in July 2009.
India and Germany have a ‘strategic partnership’ since 2001, which has been further strengthened with two rounds of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) in New Delhi in May 2011, as well as in Berlin in April 2013.
The next IGC is scheduled to take place in India in October 2015. (ANI)