Cairo: India and Egypt, which share close bilateral ties, should look ahead to forge cooperation in multiple areas including science and technology and economy, the Indian envoy here said on Tuesday. Ambassador Navdeep Suri's comments came during the opening of an 'Indian Day' which was organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) in the National Research Centre in Cairo. The envoy said that both countries are fortunate to have a unique past as they have a great history as well as bilateral relations, but what is equally important is "to look ahead". "We need to look to the future and forge cooperation in multiple areas and fields like political leadership, scientific field and economic growth," he said. Suri also mentioned that politics was the major topic that one could speak about during the era of Egypt's president Gamal Abdel Nasser and India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, "but there's not much happening in the economic area".
"Today many Indian companies are investing in Egypt, India is one of the major investors here as it is now Egypt's seventh largest trading partner," he said. The day, which included activities such as the screening of a documentary about India, a yoga class, an Indian show as well as a photography exhibition that shows Indo-Egyptian history with photos of great leaders from both countries, was described by Ashraf Shaalan, president of the National Research Centre as a special day saying there is a special bilateral relationship between the two countries. "We are seeking cooperation in many fields including solar renewable energy, water, agriculture, science and other mutual fields of interest. This cooperation will be for Egyptian benefit and Indian as well," said Shaalan.
Some magazines and books about India in Arabic were distributed during the event. The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) was established in 1992 in Cairo. It holds languages classes in Hindi and Urdu, Yoga classes, meditation classes and regularly conducts lectures and symposia on various topics, exhibitions on India, and dance classes. MACIC also does outreach activities with educational institutions and cultural centres both within and outside Cairo.
