Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to be Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations

Tags: Person in news National News

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will be the chief guest at the 74th Republic Day celebrations.

An overview of the news

• He will pay a state visit to India from the 24th to the 26th of this month.

• This is the first time that the President of Egypt has been invited as the chief guest on the Republic Day 2023 of India.

• A 180-member strong contingent of the Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade.

• The President of Egypt had earlier visited India in October 2015 to attend the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit, followed by a state visit in September 2016.

• President Sisi will have a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks with PM Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. 

• Abdel Fattah Sisi is a former Army officer who was elected as the president of Egypt t in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018.

About Republic Day Celebration 

• Every year Republic day is observed on 26 January. It was on this day the constitution of India was promulgated in 1950 and India became a republic.

• The President of India presides over the Republic day functions. It is customary to invite a foreign country leader as an honoured guest at the Republic day function.

• In 1955 Rajpath (Now Kartavya Path) became the permanent place for the Republic day parade. 

• The Chief Guest was the Governor-General of Pakistan Malik Ghulam Muhammad.

• President of Indonesia, Sukarno was the first guest at 1950 Republic day parade.