NEW DELHI – The Indian Express said an invitation to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to be the Republic Day chief guest is highly symbolic from the Indian government’s perspective.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations this year, landed in India on Tuesday (January 24). This is the first time that an Egyptian President has been invited as chief guest for the event, according to the Indian Express website.
India and Egypt share close political understanding based on a long history of cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues. The joint announcement of establishment of diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level was made on August 18, 1947.
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser signed the Friendship Treaty between the two countries, and they were key to forming the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) . along with Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
