The Hindu : National : India, Egypt seek closer ties

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India, Egypt seek closer ties

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: India and Egypt will be seeking to develop closer ties through a large number of Ministerial level interactions during this month. Diplomats here said they were also hoping for a closer political relationship with a summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before India goes to the polls.

The first senior Egyptian official to visit the country will be Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abulnaga who will be leading the country’s delegation to the India-Africa summit from April 7 to 10. She will be followed by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Amaza from April 13 to 17. Overlapping his visit will be the one by Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry Rashid Mohd. Rashid from April 14 to 17.

The next to arrive will be head of the Government Authority for Foreign Investment Asim Ragab, leading an Egyptian delegation, from April 18 to 19 to attend the Indo-Arab Project Conclave. Capping the flurry of visits in April will be the Minister of Transport Mohd. Mansur who will be here for two days from April 29.

With both countries registering healthy increases in gross domestic product in recent years, the intention is to enter into a more intense economic relationship. Bilateral trade currently stood at $2.8 billion last year with the balance of trade in Egypt’s favour mainly due to its export of petroleum products.

Egypt and India enjoy similarities in their approach to strategic and tade relations.

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