The relationship between Egypt and India goes back to ancient times, specifically King Ashoka and the Pharaohs era, with deep roots on all levels, according to Indian Ambassador to Cairo Ajit Gupte.
His remarks came duringa symposium on cultural relations between Egypt and India. The event was organized by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Culture under an initiative by the Ministry of Culture.
During the symposium, Gupte praised the historical relations of the two ancient civilizations. He said that the cultural, religious, and artistic diversity of India has made it, since ancient times, a home of many races and nationalities.
Gupte mentioned a saying by Bengali poet Tagore that the Egyptian civilization grew up next to the Nile River and the relations of the two countries intensified during the passage of Gandhi through the Suez Canal to attend the Round Table Conference in London in 1931. Gandhi led the liberation movement in India and the message of non-violence whose principles are still valid now, and the Egyptians welcomed him. Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki even wrote a poem for him. Moreover, Nehru’s historical relations with Saad Zaghloul and President Gamal Abdel Nasser played a great role in establishing the Non-Aligned Movement.
Gupte added that since the establishment of the Indian Cultural Center in Cairo in 1992, it has played a prominent and influential role in spreading Indian culture. Many Indian cultural events have become on the Egyptians’ agenda, such as the India Festival on the Banks of the Nile, the International Day of Yoga, and many Indian cultural events that contribute to supporting relations between the two countries.
Moreover, Egypt’s Ambassador to India, Heba Elmarassi, said in a video message to the symposium, that India is a country with ancient civilizations and diverse cultures, which is the most important feature that distinguishes it, and emphasized the depth of historical relations between two ancient civilizations.
She pointed out the recent increase in Indian tourist groups visiting Egypt, and stressed that the Egyptian Embassy in India began organizing the Egypt Festival on the Ganga River, similar to the India Festival on the Banks of the Nile, and the festival achieved amazing successes in the capital and other Indian cities.
Elmarassi wished for more cooperation between the two friendly countries in various fields, especially the cultural sector.
For his part, Mohamed Hegazy, former Assistant Foreign Minister and President of the Egyptian-Indian Friendship Association, thanked Inas Abdel Dayem, Minister of Culture, for launching such an initiative, adding that a country with an ancient civilization like India opens a window on history and diverse cultures.
He said that archaeologists confirmed that the pharaohs used Indian oils in their mummification operations.
He Pointed out that the successive visits of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and his meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made the relations reached the level of partnership in the Egyptian-Indian relations, and Hegazy offered that India establish an information technology in Egypt to strengthen the historical relations between the two countries.
