RENEWING HISTORICAL BONDS

India and Egypt, both ancient civilizations, continue to play a significant role in their respective regional spheres, located as they are in geo-strategically important areas.

Egypt is not only an acknowledged leader of the Arab world but is also an important link between the Arab and the African bloc and the rest of the global community. India, which aspires to play an increasingly larger role beyond its immediate neighbourhood, would do well to renew its historical partnership with Egypt. Towards this goal, the presence of President Sisi as the Chief Guest for India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations is significant.

Historical Linkages

President Sisi and Prime Minister Modi have the advantage of building upon a relationship which has a very enriching past. Emperor Ashoka’s edicts talk of linkages with the ancient kingdom of Egypt under Ptolemy II.

In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul (Egyptian revolutionary and statesman, leader of Egypt’s nationalist Wafd Party that led a civil disobedience campaign with the goal of achieving independence for Egypt from British rule} shared common goals on the independence of their respective countries. This relationship was a foundation for the close friendship between Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and Pres- ident Gamal Abdel Nasser, culminating in the 1955 Indo-Egypt Friendship Treaty. Both leaders were the guiding luminaries of the Non-Aligned Movement as it struggled through the 1960s in a world split by a raging cold war.

It is a matter of record that the former General, who came to power in Egypt through a bloodless coup, was instrumental in reigniting Indo-Egyptian relations. Only in 2016, when President Sisi came to India on his first visit, IndoEgyptian relations again began to get attention.

Like Nehru, Nasser was a striking personality who came to power in 1952 when the Free Officers Movement overthrew the pro-Western Egyptian monarchy. His most significant act was when in 1956, he nationalized the Suez Canal Company in a bold move. A British-French conglomerate owned and operated the Suez Canal at a great profit since its completion in 1869.

The seizure of the Suez Canal prompted an air and sea invasion of the principal ports controlling the Canal by a joint Anglo-French expeditionary force later joined by the Israelis.

A Soviet threat brought the ill-planned invasion to a halt, unable to confront the growing might of the USSR. The fact that the Eisenhower administration also pub- licly condemned the invasion forced the British and the French to accept the UN-sponsored ceasefire and withdraw despite making military gains on the ground.

The geopolitical victory over the Suez Canal undoubtedly boosted President Nasser’s recognition as a global player. Nasser was seeking to base Egypt’s foreign policy on the tenets of Arab nationalism. But for this, he needed the support of other Third World countries, and he found this within the framework of NAM and especially with countries like India.

President Nasser of Egypt and Prime Minister Nehru of India, along with other leaders like Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia and Sukarno of Indonesia, were the prime movers in promoting the concept of non-alignment during the Cold War.

Thus began the golden period of India emerging as a star campaigner for the Arab cause, especially for the displaced Palestinians. This was to last well into the 1990s until real politics and India’s growing confidence took it closer to the West and Israel.

Another area of commonality between India and Egypt until 1973 was that both were dependent on the Soviet Union for the supply of their weapons. This led both these countries to see the Soviet Union as the lesser of the two evils among the superpowers.

After the Yom Kippur war, Egypt gradually shifted towards the U.S. to meet its military requirements. Following the 1979 Camp David Accords, Egypt even left the Arab camp when it established full relations with Israel in return for lands it had lost during previous wars.

India’s geopolitical trajectory though similar, has taken a slightly different route. India continued to maintain a close relationship with the Soviet Union right till the end of the Cold War. India’s relations with Egypt remained frozen under Anwar Sadat’s successor Hosni Mubarak.

In 2011 during the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak was overthrown by a popular revolution in Egypt. A series of administrations followed him, and their relatively short and turbulent tenures were not conducive for India to deepening its relations with Egypt.

REVITALISING INDO-EGYPT RELATIONS

It is a matter of record that the former General, who came to power in Egypt through a bloodless coup, was instrumental in reigniting Indo-Egyptian relations. Only in 2016, when President Sisi came to India on his first visit, Indo-Egyptian relations again began to get attention. He sought to revitalize the relationship between the two countries on several levels, including political, economic, cultural and social.

He encouraged India to increase its trade and investment in Egypt, especially focusing on the New Suez Canal Project. He also focused on greater cooperation with India in the fight against the extremist ideology promoted by ISIS, solving the Palestinian issue and strengthening the NAM framework to enhance greater south-south cooperation.

During the current visit of President Sisi, the relationship between the two countries was officially upgraded to the level of “strategic partnership”. The partnership offers gains for both sides, especially in terms of security, as both are deeply impacted by terrorism and unsettled borders, demanding a considerable defence expenditure. In addition, India has to offer soft power like IT, cyber security, cultural exchanges, educational exchanges and broadcasting.

Trade remains a strong incentive as both countries struggle to improve their people’s lot. Last year the bilateral trade reached a high of $7.26 billion, with both sides contributing an almost equal share in exports.

Indian companies have invested around $ 3 billion in the Egyptian economy and there is considerable scope for further enhancement, especially in the field of chemicals, energy, textile, garments, agriculture and retail. Both sides aim to reach $12 billion in mutual trade in the next five years.

However, challenges remain in the further blossoming of Indo-Egyptian engagement. First, the Egyptians are reaching out to the Pakistanis to curb the influence that the Muslim Brotherhood has in Pakistan.

Pakistan is also making overtures to Egypt in bilateral military cooperation. Chinese investment is very important for the infrastructure-led development model being pursued by Egypt. India must take these factors into consideration when dealing with Egypt.

Assessment

India and Egypt are natural partners. This is because they had a previous historical relationship in the past on which they could build upon. Keeping current realities in mind where bilateral relationships are likely the basis of most trading partnerships, both sides need to give a fresh impetus to their relationship. Egypt will benefit from increased Indian investment in its economy. India will benefit from having the most populous Arab country as a friend and a potential bridge for its goods into the Middle East and Africa.

For India, Egypt is the gateway to the wider African continent and the Arab World, which are of critical importance to India as it aspires to extend its economic and geopolitical reach beyond its immediate neighbourhood. Egypt has deftly manoeuvred its relations with its Islamic brethren and its arch-enemy Israel and the U.S., leveraging its geographical location, a skill that India needs to learn and develop in its outreach to the world.