Why was Egyptian President Abdel Fattah made the chief guest of the Republic Day parade?

Egypt this year President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Republic Day is the chief guest. This is the first time that an Egyptian President Republic day was invited as the chief guest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a formal invitation to al-Sisi. During the official visit to Egypt in October 2022, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar handed over the invitation to the President of Egypt.

Not only this, Egypt has also been invited as the guest country during India’s G20 presidency this year. On January 25, President Abdel Fattah was formally welcomed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Why was the President of Egypt elected?

There is a special reason behind making President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the chief guest on Republic Day. According to the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, formal relations between India and Egypt were established on 15 August 1947, three days after the country got independence. This year i.e. in 2023, 75 years of those relations are being completed. So this year is special for formal relations between India and Egypt. That’s why he has been made the chief guest.

This is not the first time that the President of Egypt is visiting India. He came to India for the first time in 2015, but this is the first time that the President of Egypt has been invited as the chief guest on the Republic Day. Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi is the President of Egypt since 2014. He is a retired military officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Army until 2014.

How is the chief guest chosen?

It is also the highest honor for him to be elected as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day. The Chief Guest is given a Guard of Honor in front of the President of India. On the evening of Republic Day, the President of India organizes a special reception for him. The Chief Guest pays tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at Raj Ghat and in his honor, the Prime Minister organizes a special event where the Vice President and the External Affairs Minister meet the Chief Guest.

In the report of Indian Express, former Ambassador of India Manbir Singh says, the Chief Guest’s visit to India is seen as a symbolic visit which shows the friendly relations between India and that guest. Preparation to make a foreign guest the chief guest on Republic Day starts about 6 months before the event.

While deciding the name of the chief guest, the Ministry of External Affairs takes into account many things. While stamping his name, it is seen that how is India’s relationship with the country whose President or Prime Minister is being invited and what the past history says. What is the connection of politics, army and economy with that country. Keeping these things in mind, the Ministry of External Affairs puts its final stamp on that name. If we understand it in the context of Egypt, then Egypt has been an important trading partner for India in the African continent.