Rajnath Singh signs MoU with Egypt on Defence Cooperation

Tags: International Relations International News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Egypt, met the Egyptian Defence Minister, General Mohamed Zaki in Cairo on 20 September and signed a MoU on Defence Cooperation to further expand the bilateral defence ties between the two countries.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• During the meeting, both sides discussed steps to strengthen defense ties and a consensus was reached for joint military exercises and training, especially in the area of counter-terrorism.

• In addition, they also exchanged views on regional security and acknowledged the contribution of India and Egypt to peace and stability in the world.

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed to focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation and security aspects.

• Singh has also invited his Egyptian counterpart to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and the IOR Defence Ministers' Conference, which is scheduled to be held in Gujarat from October 18-22 this year as part of the 12th DefExpo.

• Egypt is one of the largest investment destinations for India in the region with an existing Indian investment of USD 3.15 billion.

India - Egypt defence cooperation :

• To boost defence cooperation between the two countries, an Indian Air Force team arrived in Egypt on 22 June to participate in a bilateral 'Strategic Leadership Program' with the Egyptian Air Force.

• The year 2022 has special significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Egypt.

• There was close cooperation between the Air Forces of both countries, with efforts at jointly developing a fighter aircraft in the 1960s. 

• Indian Air Force pilots had also trained Egyptian pilots from the 1960s until 1984. 

• In recent times, since 2015, there have been a number of high-level exchanges of visits by defense delegations.