Egypt, India Agree to Boost Defense Ties With Joint Military Drills & Industrial Projects

India's military has recently increased interactions with its Egyptian counterparts, as New Delhi aims to boost its ties with the country, linking northeast Africa with the Middle East. Egypt's Suez Canal is crucial for India's cargo and freight movement from the Mediterranean Sea.

India and Egypt have agreed to enhance military and security cooperation by focusing on manufacturing, transferring, and localizing technologies.

There is also an indication of a comprehensive military pact on the anvil to utilize the capabilities and infrastructure available in the two countries.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Zaki discussed a range of issues of mutual interest in Cairo on Monday.

"Both sides discussed steps to strengthen defense ties and reached a consensus to enhance conduct of joint exercises and exchange of personnel for training, especially in the field of counter-insurgency," a statement issued following a meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries read.

Describing the meeting as a "milestone event," the Indian Defense Ministry hopes it would pave the way for enhancing cooperation across all sectors of mutual interest. The Indian ministry, however, did not provide details about the agreement.

Both countries also decided to identify projects to be completed by the defense industries in a "time-bound manner."

India has reportedly offered to set up production facilities for manufacturing its Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and combat helicopters in Egypt.

The bilateral ties between the two countries blossomed since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi signed a first-ever agreement on maritime transport with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his second visit to New Delhi in 2016.

Last October, the two nations' air forces conducted their first-ever joint tactical exercise, named "Desert Warrior," followed by a visit by the Indian Air Force Chief V.R. Chaudhari to Cairo.