INDIA-EGYPT: In a bid to strengthen relations with Egypt and set up a link between northeast Africa and the Middle East, the Indian military has recently boosted its interactions with Egyptian counterparts. The Suez Canal in Egypt is essential for the transportation of cargo and freight from the Mediterranean Sea to India.
By concentrating on producing, transferring, and localising technologies, India and Egypt have decided to strengthen their military and security cooperation. A comprehensive military agreement to make use of the resources and infrastructure that are available in the two nations appears to be in the works as well.
In Cairo on Monday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Egyptian Defense Minister General Mohamed Zaki spoke about a range of topics of significance to both countries.
Following a meeting between the defence ministers of the two nations, a statement was released that stated that "both sides discussed ways to strengthen defence ties and reached a consensus to enhance conduct of joint exercises and exchange of personnel for training, especially in the field of counter-insurgency."
The Indian Defense Ministry called the meeting a "milestone event" and hoped it would open the door to better cooperation in all areas of shared interest. However, the Indian ministry declined to share specifics regarding the contract. Both nations also agreed to designate projects that must be finished by the military industries in a "time-bound manner."
India has reportedly offered to establish production facilities in Egypt for its Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and combat helicopters.
Since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inked the first-ever maritime transit deal during El-second Sisi's visit to New Delhi in 2016, diplomatic relations between the two nations have flourished. The two countries' air forces engaged in their first-ever "Desert Warrior" combined tactical exercise in October of last year, which was followed by the Indian Air Force Chief V.R. Chaudhari's trip to Cairo.
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