This article outlines the diplomatic relationship between India and Egypt: its historical background, the establishment of diplomatic relations, visits by heads of state and government, the 2023 Strategic Partnership, ministerial contacts and the institutional dialogue mechanisms. It is based on the MEA brief of April 2026 and reflects the position described in that brief.

Historical background

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India and Egypt, two of the world's oldest civilizations, have had close contact since ancient times. The brief notes that Ashoka's edicts refer to his relations with Egypt under Ptolemy-II in the 3rd century B.C.

In modern times, the brief records, Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals on the independence of their countries. This developed into a close friendship between President Nasser and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, leading to a Friendship Treaty between the two countries in 1955.

Diplomatic relations and the Strategic Partnership

The joint announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level was made on 18 August 1947. The two countries have cooperated in multilateral fora and were founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to Egypt in June 2023, an agreement was signed upgrading bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. During the same visit, Prime Minister Modi was conferred the 'Order of the Nile', which the brief describes as the highest civilian award of Egypt.

Visits by leaders

The brief records regular high-level bilateral visits since the 1980s. Visits to India by Egyptian Presidents include:

  • President Hosni Mubarak in 1982, in 1983 (NAM Summit) and in 2008
  • President Mohamed Morsi in March 2013
  • President Sisi in October 2015, for the third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi
  • President Sisi's State visit in September 2016
  • President Sisi's 2nd State Visit in January 2023, as Chief Guest of India's 74th Republic Day celebrations
  • President Sisi in September 2023, for the G20 Leaders' Summit

There have been five Prime Ministerial visits from India to Egypt since the 1980s: Shri Rajiv Gandhi (1985), Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao (1995), Shri I. K. Gujral (1997), Dr. Manmohan Singh (2009, NAM Summit) and Shri Narendra Modi (2023).

India invited Egypt as a 'Guest Country' during its G20 Presidency. The brief notes that several Egyptian delegations at official and Ministerial level travelled to India during this period to attend various G20 tracks.

Meetings and telephone calls

Prime Minister Modi and President Sisi have also met on the sidelines of multilateral meetings: at the UNGA in New York in September 2015, the 9th BRICS Summit at Xiamen in September 2017, the BRICS Summit in Russia in October 2024, and the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024.

Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the Prime Minister held a telephone conversation with President Sisi on 28th October 2023. President Sisi called Prime Minister Modi on 24th April 2025, after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, conveying Egypt's solidarity with India in countering terrorism. In August 2025, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly had an interaction on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China.

Ministerial and parliamentary contacts

Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty visited Delhi in October 2025 to lead the inaugural Strategic Dialogue and met Prime Minister Modi. The two Foreign Ministers also interacted on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit at Johannesburg in November 2025, met at the Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE in December 2025, and held telephone conversations after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Cairo in October 2025 as the special envoy of Prime Minister Modi at the Sharm el Sheikh Gaza Peace Summit. He made an official visit to Egypt in January 2026 and held meetings with Egyptian ministers, including the Foreign Minister.

A 9 membered multiparty delegation of Parliament led by Ms. Supriya Sule visited Egypt in June 2025, in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.

Institutional mechanisms

The brief lists several mechanisms for bilateral dialogue at different levels:

  • Strategic Dialogue: the first round, led by Foreign Ministers, was held in Delhi in October 2025.
  • Foreign Office Consultations (FOC): the 14th round of Secretary-level FOC was held in Cairo on February 8, 2026.
  • Joint Committee Meetings (JCM): held at the level of Foreign Minister; the 7th JCM was held in New Delhi in March 2018.

Other mechanisms cover defence, trade and specific sectors through Joint Working Groups held at senior official level. These are described in the trade and cooperation articles of this guide.

Track 2 dialogue

According to the brief, the Indian mission engages with think-tanks in Egypt, including the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs (ECFA), the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS), the Egyptian Center For Economic Studies (ECES), the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding in Africa (CCCPA) and the Global Affairs & Public Policy School of American University in Cairo (GAPP).

India Foundation engages with ECFA, and their recent consultations were held in October 2025 in Cairo. India's ORF engages with ECES, and the second dialogue between them was held in November 2025. ORF signed an MoU with ACPSS on 3rd November 2025 for collaboration on joint studies, research and continued dialogue.