New Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu received Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. She also hosted a banquet in his honour, said a press release from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Welcoming President El-Sisi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President said that his visit has come at a very opportune moment, as India and Egypt are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. She noted that Egypt was one of the first countries with which we established full-fledged diplomatic relations, just three days after India's independence, according to the press release.

Further, the president also mentioned that ties between the two countries have been further strengthened through our struggle for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul Pasha shared common goals on the independence of their countries.

At the event El-Sisi also met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, EAM Dr S Jaishankar and several Union Ministers including Anurag Thakur and Piyush Goyal.

El Sisi was invited by the Union government as the chief guest for India's 74th Republic Day. The Egyptian President arrived in New Delhi on January 24. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu welcomed the Egyptian President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was welcomed by several other Union Ministers, including Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena also joined the Union Ministers in welcoming the Egyptian President.

Prior to this Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India has decided to elevate bilateral relations with Egypt to a strategic partnership.

"We've decided that under India-Egypt Strategic Partnership we will develop a long-term framework for greater cooperation in the fields of politics, security, economics and science," PM Modi said at a joint press conference after holding wide-ranging talks with visiting Egyptian President Sisi. India and Egypt also exchanged MoUs in the fields of cyber security, culture, information technology, youth matters and broadcasting.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday congratulated the Indians for the 74th Republic Day and called it a "great privilege" to be the chief guest on such a glorious national day. He said that the ties between India and Egypt have been characterised by balance and stability.

"I reiterate my congratulations to the Indian nation, government and people for this great day. It is a great privilege to be a guest of honour and participate in the glorious national day," El-Sisi said at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

"The relations between Egypt and India have been characterised by balance and stability. We have only seen constructive development. We have been all along evolving very positively," he said further. The Egyptian President also expressed his desire to take the bilateral relations between the two countries to a new horizon," he further said. (ANI)