India, Egypt to put in place robust security partnership: Envoy

India is planning to put in place a robust defence partnership with Egypt -- a key Arab world state, the Egyptian ambassador to India, Hatem Tageldin, said on Tuesday.

Egypt, a longstanding ally of India, has one of biggest militaries in the world and is interested in joint defence production with India as also training of armed forces in Indian institutes.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman is planning to visit Cairo in near future, Tageldin told a select group of media persons. The two sides have developed effective cyber security partnership.


In last few years Delhi and Cairo have given meat to their socio-cultural partnership. Egypt's Al-Azhar University -- renowned as Sunni Islam's 'most prestigious university' -- has offered to open an India chapter besides offering courses at their campus to Indian students shortlisted by the Indian government.


India has set up an IT centre on the main campus of Al-Azhar University in Cairo and is planning to extend its expertise in building such facilities across Egypt in all the other institutions of the Al-Azhar Mosque, which the university is associated with. Al-Azhar University was established in 970 AD as a school attached to the mosque and has emerged over the centuries as one of Sunni Islam's most important universities, attracting students from across continents.

On Tuesday in his address to the gathering at the event held to mark the opening of a production facility in India of Egyptian paints manufacturing company Kapci Coatings, Tageldin described India-Egypt ties as "exceptional".
"Egypt and India share exceptional ties that go back many years starting with NAM (Non-Aligned Movement)," he said.

"It is now time for the business communities to play their role in boosting the bilateral ties."

Pointing out that Modi and Egyptian El-Sisi have already met four times after assuming office in 2014, the Ambassador expressed confidence that the bilateral relations are set to be enhanced with a favourable economic climate.