“It gives me great pleasure to welcome His Excellency, President Mohamed Morsy, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, on his State Visit to our country. We deeply appreciate the fact that he has undertaken a State Visit to India despite his pressing domestic commitments. This is a reflection of his personal commitment to the development of our relationship.

President Morsy and I have just concluded extensive and very productive discussions, marked by the warmth and friendship that characterizes the truly special nature of the relations between our two countries. We have agreed that his visit, at an important juncture for Egypt, offers us a great opportunity to renew our relationship and take it to a different level of engagement and cooperation.

We have discussed the historic political transition underway in Egypt following the events of January 2011. I expressed our admiration for the courage and sacrifices of the people of Egypt in ushering in a new era of democracy in Egypt. I conveyed our full support to President Morsy and offered to share our experience, as he ably leads his nation in building strong institutions and frameworks for democracy, social justice and inclusive economic development. I am convinced that Egypt’s successful transition would be an important model for the region and the world as a whole.

President Morsy and I have agreed that India and Egypt have enormous potential for deepening our cooperation across the full spectrum of our relationship. Our economic partnership has rich possibilities. We have agreed that information technology, services, electronics, small and medium enterprises, manufacturing, fertilizers, and renewable energy constitute important areas of cooperation. Egypt’s location, as a bridge between Asia and Africa, astride a major global trade route, together with its skilled human resources, makes it an attractive business destination for India.

We also agreed to foster productive partnerships in socio-economic development programmes, skill development, higher education, agriculture and health care. We have also agreed to enhance our defence exchanges and cooperation.

The agreements that we have signed today are a clear manifestation of our desire to impart a new dynamism to our relationship.

President Morsy and I have also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues. We have a shared interest in peace and stability in the Gulf, West Asia and the North African region. I conveyed our steadfast support to the Palestinian cause and expressed our deep appreciation for the role played by Egypt in trying to forge unity between the Palestinian groups and work towards a peaceful resolution of this long standing issue.

We also discussed the deteriorating situation in Syria and condemned the violence and loss of innocent lives there. We agreed on the urgent need for a peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue.

President Morsy and I have underscored the importance of forging stronger regional and international cooperation between our two countries to address common challenges like climate change, food and energy security and terrorism. We agreed to intensify our efforts on issues that affect developing countries, and increase our cooperation and coordination in various international forums, including the United Nations, G-77 and the Non Aligned Movement.

Before I conclude, I must mention the enormous reservoir of goodwill and trust, and the ties of history, culture and religion, which bind the people of India and Egypt. President Morsy and I have agreed that this provides a very solid bedrock on which to build a strong and durable bilateral relationship and international partnership between our two countries.”