MoS Muraleedharan & Egypt Ambassador Elmarassi discuss bilateral, multilateral cooperation

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Wednesday, 25 August, met Ambassador of Egypt to India Dr Heba Elmarassi at his office on her farewell call-on. The two officials discussed important aspects of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. During their meeting, Muraleedharan conveyed his best wishes to Elmarassi for her future endeavours. 

India-Egypt relations 

It is worth mentioning that India and Egypt have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times. The two countries share a close political understanding based on a long history of contacts and cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent. 

India is the sixth-largest trading partner of Egypt – the third largest export destination and eleventh largest import source for Egypt. Technical cooperation and assistance has also been a major part of our bilateral relationship. The strong ties between India and Egypt are even evident from the affection towards India amongst the population. 

According to the MEA, at present, the Indian community in Egypt numbers at around 3600, most of whom are concentrated in Cairo. There are also a small number of families in Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia. A majority of the Indians are either employed with Indian companies or are professionals with various multinationals. The Mission provides assistance to the Indian Community Association in Egypt (ICAE) and works closely with members of the community. 

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