Rosel Youssef (newspaper), P.10 (2-7-2008)

The Indian External Affairs Minister in a visit to Egypt

At the invitation of the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mr. Ahmed Abul Gheit, the Indian Minister of External Affairs Mr. Pranab Mukherjee starts a visit to Egypt during the period July 1-3, 2008. The last visit paid by an Indian External Affairs Minister was in February 2001. It is worth mentioning that the Egyptian Foreign Minister visited New Delhi in December 2006, as he attended the 5^th session of the Indo-Egyptian Joint Commission. Over the past two years, the Indian and Egyptian sides exchanged high-level ministerial visits. In January 2008, the Indian Home Minister visited Egypt and the Indian MoS for Commerce and Power Mr. Jairam Ramesh visited Egypt and attended the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in Sharm El Sheikh in the middle of last May. On the other hand, the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation visited India and attended India-Africa Forum in New Delhi early last April. Moreover, the Egyptian Minister of Trade & Industry and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation visited India in April 2008. 

Bilateral economic and commercial relations between India and Egypt have witnessed remarkable progress during the last few years. Moreover, India has become the fourth largest trade partner of Egypt and it is the largest importer of the Egyptian products. Bilateral trade between the two sides amounts to US$ 2.356 billion (major bulk is hydrocarbon products). The volume of Indian investments in Egypt at present time registers about US$ 750 million.

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