| Introduction: Give a brief introduction about the recent visit of PM to Egypt. Body: Which historical factors are involved and how have they shaped relations in the present context? Conclusion: Highlight the main factors necessary for good relations. |
Recently PM Modi visited Egypt and the two sides have decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership”. PM Modi was also conferred PM Modi with the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest honour.
Historical factors which have shaped the relationship:
- Trade: The two ancient civilizations Indus Valley Civilization (2600–1900 BCE) and the ancient Egyptian civilization (3100–332 BCE) had trade and cultural regions.
- Maritime Trade Route: Both nations had large maritime boundaries which played a crucial role in the exchange of spices, stones, metals, and jewellery.
- Cultural Exchanges: Both nations have contributed to enriching the culture of others whether in terms of architecture, the spread of Buddhism, or maintaining diplomatic connections during the Mauryan Empire.
- Anti-Imperialism: Both nations had suffered from the evils of imperialism and were committed to anti-imperialism philosophy as seen during the golden years of the relationship in the 1950s when Prime Minister Nehru and President Nasser connected frequently.
- Non-Aligned Movement: Egypt alongside India was one of the founding members of NAM. President Gamal Abdel Nasser, together with Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Sukarno of Indonesia played the leading role in the early days of the movement. Both India and Egypt were against aligning with any superpower and disapprove of bloc politics.
Relationship in the present context:
- Defence Cooperation: Egypt hosts the headquarters of the League of Arab States and has the largest standing army in the region. All these factors have enabled Egypt to cooperate with India in defence which is marked by activity with the air force and special ops exercises and a series of high-level visits coupled with increased defence exports from India to Egypt.
- Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE): This core economic zone around both sides of the canal can offer India access to markets in Europe, Africa and the Gulf. By gaining substantial access to SCZONE. India could successfully boost its exports through the “Made by India for the World” programme.
- Countering Fundamentalism: Egypt and its educational institutions occupy a reputed place in the Muslim world and have played a key role in countering doctrines spouted by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. Educational and cultural linkages can help Indian Muslims in fields like Commerce, engineering, and medicine.
- New areas of cooperation: The two sides are also pursuing closer cooperation in green energy, pharmaceuticals and defence, with MoUs in agriculture, archaeology and antiquities, and competition law. Egypt joined the “New Development Bank” set up by BRICS and is keen to join this grouping in the upcoming summit.
Conclusion:
The four pillars of politics, defence, and security; economic engagement; academic and scientific exchanges; and cultural and people-to-people connections form the foundation of the India-Egypt strategic alliance.
