RAJASTHAN: The first-ever joint exercise between Indian Army and Egyptian Army, known as Cyclone 2023, commenced its special heliborne operations at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

The 14-day exercise, which is taking place in Rajasthan's deserts, involves both contingents and aims to improve special forces abilities like sniping, combat free fall, reconnaissance, surveillance, and target designation. It also promotes information sharing on new weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Along with cooperative planning and training for Special Forces operations in a mechanised combat environment, the participants would also conduct surgical strikes on terrorist camps and hideouts, including the shooting of High-Value Targets.

India and Egypt, two of the oldest civilizations in the world, have a long history of close engagement. Egypt is a key actor in development with a population of about 110 million, a location that straddles Africa and Asia, and a metropolis that houses the League of Arab States. Additionally, India has had a very close relationship with this nation ever since gaining its independence. Given that the two nations jointly founded the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the 1950s, this is only logical.

As a result of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the COVID pandemic, India and Egypt are becoming ever more unified. Additionally, both nations have already shown their compassion toward one another by assisting one another in times of need.

All Indians greatly appreciated Egypt's prompt delivery of 300,000 Remdesivir doses in May 2021 during the devastating second wave of Covid-19 that severely affected India. In return, Egypt provided wheat in 2022 to help Egypt, the world's largest importer of wheat, get through supply-side disruptions.

Egypt has a wheat crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict because 80% of its wheat imports come from these two countries. The Egyptian Cabinet then said that India had been added to the list of nations authorised to provide Egypt with wheat in 2022, which provided a boost to bilateral relations.

Egypt's economy grew more quickly from 2017 through 2019 but then slowed down in 2020 and 2021 as a result of numerous global shocks. Now, Egypt may help the economy recover by collaborating with developing nations like India. 

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