Egypt's President El-Sisi arrives in India, PM Modi says 'matter of immense happiness'

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi touched down in New Delhi on Tuesday as India welcomes the Egyptian President ahead of its 74th Republic Day. El-Sisi will be watching the Republic Day as the chief guest, as India and Egypt commemorate 75 glorious years of the establishment of diplomatic ties.  

On Tuesday, El-Sisi arrived in New Delhi with a retinue comprising five ministers and top officials for a four-day visit from January 24 to 27. The visit marks the first time that the President of Egypt has been invited as the chief guest on India’s Republic Day. Egypt and India maintain strong ties, with the latter inviting Cairo as a “guest country" during its G20 Presidency.

On Wednesday, El-Sisi will get a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, where he will meet his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other notable figures, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt arrives in New Delhi on his 3rd visit to India.

MoS @RanjanRajkuma11 welcomed President @AlsisiOfficial who will be the Chief Guest for India’s 74th Republic Day.

This visit will further deepen the long-standing 🇮🇳🇪🇬 friendship. pic.twitter.com/VK9t4TPzgs

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia)

Warm welcome to India, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Your historic visit to India as Chief Guest for our Republic Day celebrations is a matter of immense happiness for all Indians. Look forward to our discussions tomorrow. @AlsisiOfficial

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)

Meetings and banquets: A peek into El-Sisi's India visit

"This is for the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt has been invited as Chief Guest on our Republic Day. A military contingent from the Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade," the ministry said in a statement. "The forthcoming visit of President Sisi is expected to further strengthen and deepen the time-tested partnership between India and Egypt,” it added. 

India and Egypt have "warm and friendly relations marked by civilizational, cultural and economic linkages and deep-rooted people-to-people ties", the ministry said. On Wednesday, the Egyptian President will then go on to lay a wreath at Rajghat, the memorial of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

During his visit, El-Sisi will also hold a meeting with PM Modi to discuss important bilateral matters and major issues around the world. The day will conclude with President Murmu hosting a state banquet for the dignitary. Welcoming the Egyptian leader to India, Prime Minister Modi said, "Your historic visit to India as Chief Guest for our Republic Day celebrations is a matter of immense happiness for all Indians. Look forward to our discussions tomorrow."