India-Egypt Bilateral Relations *
Historical Background
India and Egypt represent two ancient civilizations that
have enriched world culture with their invaluable contributions to the sciences
and the arts as well as to philosophical thought from the third millennium B.C.
In the days of the early pharaohs, Indian sailors carried to Egypt perfumes and
spices, pearls and brocades. Egypt sent to India coral and rose water, gold and
saffron. Queen Hat-Shep-Sut dispatched envoys to India in
the 15th century B.C. which one might take as the commencement of
mutual diplomatic relations. More than 2200 years ago, Emperor Ashoka’s
missionaries took the message of the Buddha to Egypt, leading to the
establishment of an Indian settlement in the port city of Alexandria. India’s
literature, notably the Panchatantra, was taken to Europe though Arabic
translations. This cross fertilization between the two rich cultural heritages
has created a natural and lasting bond between the two countries and the
people. There were valuable exchanges of experiences between Saad Zaghlul Pasha
and Mahatma Gandhi. They broke the fetters of foreign domination within a few
years of each other. As newly freed countries, India and Egypt together
elaborated the philosophy of Non Alignment, and the birth of the Non-Aligned
Movement was, inter alia, the outcome of the Nehru-Nasser-Tito friendship.
India and Egypt have always had cordial and friendly
relations. Prime Minister Nehru, President Nasser and President Tito were
co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement.
President Mubarak visited India in 1983 to attend the NAM
Summit. Former Indian Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and P.V.Narasimha Rao paid
official visits to Egypt in 1985 and 1995 respectively.
During the visit of PM Narasimha Rao in 1995, it was
agreed to have an early meeting of Indo-Egyptian Joint Commission to identify
areas of bilateral cooperation. Other issues including the Middle East Peace
process, international terrorism and the future of NAM were also discussed.
Three agreements were signed : (i) on arrangements to combat terrorism,
trans-national and organised crime, (ii) on scientific and technological
cooperation and (iii) on bilateral cooperation in the field of information.
Indian Minister of State
for Planning, Programme Implementation and Science and Technology, Dr. Y.K.
Alagh visited Cairo in November 1996 to attend the III MENA Economic Conference
held in Cairo.
Foreign Minister Amre Moussa led the Egyptian delegation
at the G-15 Summit held in New Delhi in March 1994 and called on the President
and Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Moussa also led the Egyptian delegation to
the 12th NAM Foreign Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi, April 1997,
and co-chaired with the Indian Minister for External Affairs, the Indo-Egyptian
Joint Commission session in New Delhi, April 1997.
The Egyptian Minister for Petroleum Mr. Hamdi El Banbi
visited Goa, India in connection with the Vth World Energy Conference, in
December 1996.
Dr. Moustafa Kamal Helmy, Chairman of Shoura Council,
paid a four-day official visit to India in January 1996. He was accompanied by
eight Shoura Council members.
The Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sheikh Mohamed Sayyad
Tantawi paid a five-day official visit to India in October 1996. The Sheikh was
accompanied by a seven-member delegation.
In February 1997, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly,
Dr. Fathy Sourour, led a high level parliamentary delegation to India. This
included Mr. Kamal El Shazli, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Mr.
Zakariya Azmi, Chef de Cabinet of the Presidency and a number of Parliament
members. Apart from the bilateral visit, the delegation also attended the
Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Delhi.
In November 1996, the former Prime Minister Deve Gowda
met President Mubarak in Harare on the margins of the G-15 Summit. Again in
January 1997, Prime Minister Deve Gowda and President Mubarak met bilaterally
at the sidelines of the Davos World Economic Forum meeting. The Speaker of
Indian Parliament, Mr. P.A.Sangma visited Egypt, later in 1997.
In 1997, India announced that it had conferred the
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 1995 upon President
Mubarak.
Prime Minister
I.K. Gujral, paid an official visit to Egypt from 11-12 October, 1997. He had
talks with President Mubarak, PM Ganzouri and Foreign Minister Amre Moussa.
During the visit, the following agreements were signed – on Cooperation in
Culture, Science and Technology, Tourism and Mutual Assistance in Combating
Customs Offences. It was also decided to set up an Indo-Egypt Joint Business
Group.
In January 1998, the Egyptian Minister of Trade and
Supply, Dr. Ahmed Goweili led a high level delegation including top businessmen
to participate in the CII Partnership Summit in Chennai. During the visit a MOU
was signed on Trade Promotion.
The Vice President, Shri Krishan Kant led the Indian
delegation to the G-15 Summit at Cairo in May 1998. He was accompanied by the
Minister of State for External Affairs. A bilateral MOU in Cooperation in the
Small-Scale Sector was signed during the visit. Our Ministers of Textiles,
Health and Environment, have visited Cairo subsequently.
The first India-Egypt
Foreign Office Consultations took place in New Delhi, in February 1999.
Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding signed
between India and Egypt in New Delhi on 9 April 1997, Indo-Egyptian Foreign
Office Consultations were held in New Delhi on 22-23 February 1999 between
officials of Ministry of External Affairs of India and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Egypt. The delegations were led by Secretary (East), Shri Nareshwar
Dayal and Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Asian Affairs
Ambassador Mohamed Nagi Al-Ghatriefi. The Egyptian delegation also called on
Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Vasundhara Raje.
The discussions were held in a spirit of friendship and
understanding and covered bilateral, regional and international issues of
mutual interest. Ways and means to expand and diversify areas of mutually
beneficial cooperation were discussed. Both sides agreed to further enhance substance
and content to their bilateral relations and also agreed that economic,
commercial and cultural relations should be strengthened and given high
priority.
The interaction between India and Egypt has diversified
and developed over a period of time. It covers areas such as trade,
agriculture, economic cooperation, industrial collaboration, science &
technology, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
The Jammu
and Kashmir Issue; Terrorism; Nuclear Tests
We have reiterated our stand that all problems between
India and Pakistan have to be resolved bilaterally under the Simla Agreement
and that we remain ready at all times to engage Pakistan in a bilateral
dialogue. President Mubarak has called for international action against
terrorism.
Egypt has shown understanding for India’s compulsions for
the nuclear tests at the highest level. Like India, it has called for
comprehensive, time-bound, global, nuclear disarmament.
Bilateral Agreements
India and Egypt have signed agreements in the areas of Technical
& Scientific Cooperation (signed in 1969 and renewed in 1995), Education
and Cultural Cooperation (1958); Avoidance of Double Taxation (1969); Air
Service Agreement (signed in 1952 and renewed in 1991); Cooperation between
Doordarshan and All India Radio and Egyptian Television and Radio Union (1995);
Combating Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1955);
Combating International Terrorism and Trans-national and Organized Crime
(1995); Cooperation in the field of Information Technology (1995); Agreements
on Protection and Promotion of Investments, and the Establishment of a Joint
Business Council (JBC) between FICCI, ASSOCHAM and the Federation of Egyptian
Chambers of Commerce and Air Services. A Partnership Agreement is under final
stages of negotiations.
Economic
and Commercial Relations
Egypt had traditionally been India’s biggest trpartner in
Africa.
Iexports to Egypt have been steadily increasing from US$
128 million in 1994 to over US$ 297 million in 1998, an increase of almost 130%
in three years. The main Indian exports to Egypt have been cotton yarn and
fabrics, machinery, and equipment, transport equipment, articles and base
metals including iron and steel, plastic and articles thereof, - jute products,
human vaccines, bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals, chemicals and allied products
including reactive dyes, rubber and rubber products and traditional items such
as tea, tobacco, sesame seeds and lentils.
Egyptian exports to India in 1994 totalled US$ 224
million and had soared due to export of raw cotton. In 1998, Egyptian exports
to India amounted to US$ 167 million. The main exports to India are petroleum
crude and petroleum products, raw cotton, organic and inorganic chemicals and
fertilizers, metal ores and metal scrap. The total bilateral trade has
increased from US$ 352 million in 1994 to US$ 463 million in 1999 with a
balance of trade in favour of India of US$ 130 million.
With the deregulation of the financial environment and
the liberalization process in Egypt, an increasing number of Indian companies
are looking at Egypt as a production base, both for the domestic and regional
markets. According to the Egyptian General Authority for Foreign Investment
(EGAFI), India is the 12th largest investor in Egypt with a total
investment of approximately US$ 330 million in 32 investment proposals.
Indo-Egyptian Joint Commission
The Third Session of the Indo-Egyptian Joint Commission
was held in New Delhi under the co-Chairmanship of the Foreign Ministers of
India and Egypt, in April 1997. It reviewed the whole gamut of bilateral
relations and agreements between the two countries. Some agreements/MOUs
relating to Information and Broadcasting, Science and Technology, Informatics
and Trade and Economic issues, including on Protection and Promotion of
Investments, establishment of a Joint Business Council (JBC) between FICCI,
ASSOCHAM and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, were also signed.
Sub-committees on (a) Trade and Economy, (b) Agriculture
and Science and Technology, and (c) Culture and Human Resource Development,
also met.
The Egyptian and Indian delegations discussed the
proposed draft Partnership Agreement in Cairo in April
1999, in the context of the ongoing economic reform process in the two
countries, and finalised the draft.
The proposed Partnership Agreement attempts to provide an
umbrella facility to enable private sector firms in India and Egypt to enter
into mutual negotiations for purposes of direct trade or investment, so that
the level of economic exchanges can be enhanced, for long-term benefit.
The private sector in both the countries have decided to
expand their cooperation through the Joint Business Group, which was set up in October 1997,
when the then Prime Minister of India had visited Egypt. The first meeting of
the Indo-Egypt Joint Business Group was held in May 1999, in Cairo.
Indian Companies invest in Joint Ventures in Egypt
According to Egyptian General Authority for Foreign
Investment (GAFI), 32 investment proposals have been received by them from
Indian companies by the end of June 1996. 11 of these have been implemented and
others are in various stages of implementation. Today, India is the 12th
largest investor in Egypt with a total investment of more than 1.11 billion
Egyptian Pounds (about 330 million US dollars). Some of the areas of these
joint ventures are : the manufacturing of Carbon-Black, manufacturing diesel
engines and irrigation pump sets in Egypt, assembling of pick-up trucks and
mini buses, auto-valves, pharmaceuticals, etc.
India-Egypt Defence Cooperation
Defence ties between
India and Egypt continues to be close. In the 1960s, both countries attempted
to jointly co-produce jet aircrafts.
Defence Training
Till the mid-eighties, Indian Air Force instructors
provided training to Egyptian Air Force pilots in Egypt. Egyptian Armed Forces
officers attended courses in National Defence College and Staff College in
India. Regular exchange of visits of National Defence College teams to each
other’s country, takes place. The last visit of NDC team to Egypt was in June
1998.
Visits
1.
Chief
of Egyptian Air Force visited India in February 1997.
2.
Chief
of Indian Air Force visited Egypt in March 1998.
3.
Chief
of Indian Army visited Egypt in December 1998.
4.
Egyptian
Armed Forces delegation visited Aero India Show in December 1998.
5.
An
Egyptian Naval ship carrying training Cadets visited India in March 1999.
6.
Secretary,
Defence Production and Supplies, Government of India, headed a delegation to
Egypt in March 1999.
Miscellaneous
1.
Both
countries provide transit facilities to each other’s aircrafts and Naval ships.
2.
Efforts
are on to enhance Defence Cooperation between the two countries.
Scientific
and Technological Cooperation
Under an Agreement on Scientific and Technology
Cooperation between the Governments of Egypt and India, signed in October 1995,
a Joint Committee on Scientific & Technological Cooperation was
established. It is a high-level Committee headed by the Minister of State for
Scientific Research on the Egyptian side and the Minister of State for Science
& Technology on the Indian side.
The primary objective of the Committee is to agree on
fields of cooperation; create favourable conditions for the implementation of
the Agreement; facilitate and support the implementation of joint programmes
and projects; exchange views on the overall perspectives of the bilateral
cooperation, and to examine new proposals for further developing the
cooperation. As an immediate follow-up, the Egyptian Minister for Scientific
Research visited India twice in 1995 and Prof. Y.K. Alagh, the then Minister of
Science & Technology, visited Cairo in November 1996. Several meetings of
the “Sub Committee” on Scientific and Technological Cooperation also took place
during 1996-97, the last one being held on April 8, 1997, where the Indian side
was headed by Dr. A.P. Kulshreshtha, Adviser, Department of Science and
Technology. An Executive Programme of Cooperation was also drawn up.
As a follow-up, two workshops each in Oceanography and
Petroleum Research (May 1996 and end-1997) and one workshop in the field of
Bio-technology (June 1998) have already been held and joint projects are being
worked out. Cooperation in the area of metallurgy had also been envisaged in
the Executive Programme and a workshop on the subject is likely to take place
in Hyderabad in the last quarter of 1999.
The Egyptian Ministry for Scientific Research has signed
agreements with two Indian organisations, the National Institute of Science
Communication and Vigyan Sanchar, for the translation and sale of Indian
science popularisation books in Egypt. One such book has already been
translated. Cooperation in water resource management and non-conventional
energy sources are the other fields in which there is mutual interest. There is
also interest on both sides to enlarge the scope of the Executive Programme by
including subjects like electronics, environmental studies, training, etc.
The latest in the series of high-level confabulations
were meetings between Professor V.S. Ramamurthy, Secretary, Department of
Science and Technology, Government of India, and Dr. Sherif H. Eissa, State
Secretary of the Egyptian Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology, at
Technology Bhavan in New Delhi on February 22/23, 1999. The two sides expressed
satisfaction on the organisation of five bilateral workshops since the
Agreement was signed, and agreed to have more intensive discussions in the area
of Technology Transfer later on in the year.
A new push for cooperation has been given in this area
during the Foreign office Consultations.
India-Egypt Cooperation in the field of peaceful use of
Nuclear Energy
Egypt and India had
agreed to cooperate in the field of peaceful use of Nuclear Energy as far back
as 1962 when letters to this effect were between the atomic energy
establishments of the two countries. The agreement has berenewed every five
years through the exchange of letters.
Cooperation is currently
on going between the two countries in a number of areas. There have been
contacts between the Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), Egypt, and the Indian
Rare Earths Ltd. (IRE). The former has expressed interest in seeking Indian
help in exploiting black sands from which a number of nuclear materials can be
extracted. Delegations between the NMA and the IRE have been exchanged. The IRE
has tendered a bid for a turnkey mini pilot plant for monazite processing and
the recovery of pure individual rare earth oxides. This is under consideration
by the NMA.
The NMA has proposed
draft MoUs for cooperation with the IRE and the Uranium Cooperation of India to
enable cooperation between these organisations to be formalised. These drafts
are currently under examination.
There is also some scope
for cooperation in other areas, including training and instrumentation.
Agricultural Cooperation
A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Agricultural Research Centre
(ARC), Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Government of Egypt, was
signed in New Delhi on March 19, 1998. It was signed by Dr. R.S. Paroda,
Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) and
Director General, ICAR, on behalf of ICAR, and Dr. Saad Nassar, Director
General, ARC.
The MoU envisages cooperation in the areas of
Agricultural Engineering, Horticultural Research, Animal Sciences, Agricultural
Extension, Crop Sciences, Fisheries and Natural Resource Management. It is to
be implemented through development of mutually agreed biennial workplans, which
describe specifically the activities to be carried out under the cooperative
programme.
The first workplan for the year 1999-2000 under the MoU
has been concluded in March 1999. It envisages study visits and training of 20
Indian scientists in Egypt in various disciplines of agricultural research and
training of 20 Egyptian scientists in India. It also envisages exchange of
germplasm and formation of collaborative research projects in the areas of
hybrid rice, better quality wheat, varietal improvement of cotton, reclamation
of saline/water logged soils, irrigation/fertilization studies on arid fruits,
etc.
The implementation of the workplan is scheduled for the
second quarter of 1999.
Cultural Relations
The first Cultural Agreement between India and Egypt was
signed in September 1958 at the Cairo by Shri R.K. Nehru, the then Indian
Ambassador, on behalf of the Government of India, and Mr. Mahmud Fawzy,
Egyptian Foreign Minister, on behalf of the Government of Egypt.
Cultural Exchange Programme
The first Cultural Exchange Programme with Egypt for the
years 1973-1975 was signed in New Delhi in March 1973. The current
Comprehensive Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 1997-2000 was signed at
Cairo in October 1997, during Prime Minister Gujral’s visit to Egypt.
The Cultural Exchange Programme(CEP) provides for
exchange in the fields of education and science, arts and culture, mass-media,
social affairs, health, tourism, youth and sports, man-powers. Under CEP, there
is a provision for award of 11 scholarships for Egyptian nationals by the
Government of India and for award of 22 scholarships by the Government of Egypt
to Indian nationals i.e. 8 scholarships for Post Graduate studies for a period
of three years; 3 scholarships for Fine Arts studies; 2-3 scholarships for
practical training in Arabic language for a period of one academic year each
and 6 scholarships for Doctoral studies in Arabic language and Literature for a
period of one academic year each.
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Centre for Indian Culture was
established in Cairo in 1992 under the auspices of the Indian Council for
Cultural Relations. Since its inception it has acquired a high reputation in
the cultural and intellectual circles of Egypt. It has a well stocked library
of more than 5000 volumes which is widely used by Egyptians, including many
research scholars from different Egyptian Universities in addition to members
of the Indian community. The Centre organized a successful major weeklong,
multi-faceted manifestation on Indian culture entitled ‘Days of India’ in March
1994. The Centre organizes Yoga classes and courses in Hindi, Urdu and Indian
cuisine. The Centre is also the nodal agency for implementing the Indo-Egyptian
Cultural Exchange Programme.
In 1998 and 1999, as in
earlier years, the Centre has organized several Indian Film Festivals, in
different cities of Egypt, Exhibitions for children, book exhibitions, Indian
folk dance and classical dance performances in Cairo and other cities.
The Indian Film “The Terrorist” swept all the major
awards including the Golden Pyramid for the Best Film, and Best Director, at
the 22 Cairo International Film Festival, November 1998.
Indian Community in
Egypt
The size of the Indian community in Egypt is
approximately 1400 comprising mostly businessmen and professionals employed in
joint ventures and multinationals. They play an active role in promoting
economic and cultural relations between the two countries.
May 1999