India invites Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Republic Day Parade

New Delhi, November 25

India has invited Egyptian President Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade in 2023, Wion TV has reported. A Chief Guest for the parade is likely after two barren years. The five Central Asian Presidents couldn’t come this year due to the Covid pandemic and a similar reason kept then UK PM Boris Johnson away in 2021.

Gen. El Sisi had last visited India in 2016 but there have been several high-level visits. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had visited Cairo last month and had handed over a “personal message’’ from PM Modi to Gen. El-Sisi.

The invite to Gen. El Sisi follows India’s invitation to Egypt to participate as a guest country in the G20 meetings that will be held during the India’s year-long presidency beginning from December 1.

India’s invitation to Egypt “reflects the historic relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries and embodies Egypt’s regional and international position and influential role regarding the main international economic issues and files,’’ said the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ragy El-Etreby, Egypt’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be Gen. El-Sisi’s personal representative at the G20 meetings.

In the past, Gen. El-Sisi has participated in the G20 summits under the Presidency of China in 2016 and under the Presidency of Japan in 2019. Egypt was also granted the status of Dialogue Partner by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at its last summit in Tashkent in September.