Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, was scheduled to visit India from February 6-7. However, the visit was cancelled hours before his expected arrival on Thursday morning.

Planned Itinerary (Prior To Cancellation)

Dr. Abdelatty was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of February 6. He was expected to call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat was also on the agenda.

In the evening, he was scheduled to meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House. His departure was planned for the early hours of February 7.

The purpose of the visit was for the first bilateral strategic dialogue between Egypt and India. The two sides were expected to review their relations and discuss the situation in West Asia. The strategic dialogue with S Jaishankar was a follow-up to the decision by both countries to upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2023.

Reason For Cancellation

While there was no official reason given for the cancellation, it is speculated that it may be related to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's engagements.

There are reports that President Sisi may visit the US for a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump.

Despite the cancellation, Abdelatty spoke with S Jaishankar by phone, emphasising the Egyptian leadership's commitment to strengthening ties with India and reviewing cooperation in key areas such as pharmaceuticals, IT, and renewables.

Background On India-Egypt Relations

India and Egypt share a history of close contact from ancient times. Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals regarding the independence of their countries. President Nasser and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a close friendship, leading to a Friendship Treaty in 1955.

Diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level were established on August 18, 1947. Both countries were founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.

In June 2023, an agreement was signed upgrading bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership.

ANI