PM Egypt visit highlights: Modi holds talks with his counterpart Madbouly in Cairo

The Indian flag has been hoisted ahead of PM Modi's roundtable meeting with the Egyptian PM in Cairo on Sunday, in recognition of the special relationship between the countries, as reported by ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a self-made video in which he also shared the schedule for this two-day state visit to the Middle East nation. 

Bohra Community people were seen carrying Indian flags in lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Cairo where PM Narendra Modi is staying during his state visit to Egypt, ANI reported.

“We all are very thrilled to meet PM Modi in Cairo. Around 300-350 people have been invited here to meet the PM today,” Deepti Singh, President of the Indian Community Association in Egypt was quoted as saying by ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam on Saturday and will interact with Egyptian thought leaders, news agency ANI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Egypt for the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM after 26 years. In a special honour, Egypt PM received Modi at airport. PM Modi will also inspect a guard of honour on his arrival.

A poem called “Gandhi” by Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi on Mahatma Gandhi's role in India's independence struggle has been showcased in Cairo hotel where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive shortly. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday landed in Cairo for a two-day ‘State visit’ to Egypt. During this visit, Modi will hold strategic talks with his counterpart and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

-On the first day of his state visit to the US, PM Modi held talks with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, Twitter, and SpaceX. Musk expressed his admiration for Modi, stating, "I am a fan of Modi." He also hinted at the possibility of bringing Starlink to India along with Tesla's introduction to the country.

-Modi led the "Yoga Day event" at the United Nations headquarters in New York, which later achieved a Guinness World Record for the participation of the highest number of nationalities.

-In Virginia, Modi attended an event at the National Science Foundation alongside US First Lady Jill Biden.

-In Washington DC, PM Modi was hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an intimate dinner, during which they exchanged gifts.

-On the third day of the visit, President Biden hosted a state dinner at the White House with approximately 400 attendees, including businessmen, CEOs, and renowned personalities.

-On the fourth day, PM Modi met with various CEOs and addressed the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Centre in Washington DC before departing for Egypt.

An official visit, alternatively referred to as an official working visit or working visit, typically entails less grandeur and ceremonial display compared to a state visit. While an official visit may involve events such as an official dinner, it generally lacks the extravagant splendor associated with a state dinner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a State visit to the United States and now to Egypt. Why is it being called a “State visit”?

A state visit is an official and formal visit by the head of state of one country to another, upon the invitation of the receiving country's head of state. During a state visit, the host country's head of state serves as the official host, accompanying and hosting the visiting leader throughout the visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to Egypt will also be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minsiter to the country since 1997. 

"We are very much looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Cairo from 24th to 25th of June. The visit is a very historic occasion because the last bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister was as far back as 1997," India's Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte was quoted as saying by PTI.

Ajit Gupte, India's Ambassador to Egypt said that the “Heliopolis War Memorial” that PM Modi will visit stands as a “tribute to 3,799 Indian soldiers” who made the ultimate sacrifice in different battles fought in Egypt during World War I. Although the memorial was erected by the Commonwealth, it was to honour the Indian soldiers who valiantly defended Egypt against the Ottoman forces' attacks.

During his two-day state visit to Egypt, PM Modi will tour the Al-Hakim Mosque, an 11th-century mosque that has been restored with assistance from the Dawoodi Bohra community. The mosque, constructed during the Fatimid dynasty, has been renovated by the Bohra community since the 1970s. It is noteworthy that the Bohra community in India traces its origins back to the Fatimid dynasty.