Historic BRICS Summit in Delhi Deepens India-Egypt Strategic Partnership

New Delhi, vibrant as ever, recently played host to a truly pivotal global gathering: the 18th BRICS Summit. For two days, from September 12th to 13th, 2026, leaders from across the BRICS nations convened at the magnificent Bharat Mandapam, with India proudly holding the chairship. The air, you could say, practically buzzed with discussions centered around a powerful and timely theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" – a testament, really, to the myriad challenges and immense opportunities facing our interconnected world.

Amidst the high-level dialogues and multilateral deliberations, a particularly significant meeting unfolded on Sunday, September 13th. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, carved out time from his demanding schedule to sit down with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This wasn't just another diplomatic handshake; it was a crucial bilateral engagement held right on the sidelines of the summit, underscoring the growing warmth and strategic importance of the India-Egypt relationship.

Their conversation, by all accounts, was incredibly productive, focusing squarely on invigorating the strategic partnership that both nations formally embraced in 2023. Imagine the scene: two leaders, discussing the future, the possibilities. Indeed, the discussions delved deep into fostering cooperation across several key sectors. Think about new and renewable energy – a critical area for global sustainability – and, more specifically, the burgeoning field of green hydrogen. Pharmaceuticals, an industry where India holds significant expertise, and the ever-evolving world of information technology also featured prominently on their agenda. The ambition doesn't stop there, either; both leaders expressed a strong desire to see bilateral trade soar to an impressive $12 billion.

It's worth remembering, too, that this meeting took place in the broader context of Egypt’s relatively recent ascension to full BRICS membership, which happened in January 2024. This makes the bilateral talks even more pertinent, as Egypt now stands as one of the 11 full members of the expanded BRICS group, which welcomed Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE alongside Egypt in 2024, with Indonesia joining in January 2025. President El-Sisi, for his part, had also engaged in a bilateral discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin just the day before, on September 12th, showcasing the intensive diplomatic activity surrounding the summit.

The groundwork for such a productive exchange, one might observe, had been laid long before this summit. Diplomatic relations between India and Egypt, after all, stretch back to August 18, 1947, a date that almost perfectly aligns with India's own independence. Furthermore, officials from both sides have been actively engaging. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for example, visited India in May 2026 for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and Justice Minister Mahmoud El-Sherif attended the BRICS Justice Ministers' Meeting, even meeting with India's Minister of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal. Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, was also in Jaipur earlier that year for the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting.

So, the recent bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President El-Sisi wasn't just a moment in time; it was a testament to a burgeoning strategic relationship, poised to unlock incredible potential. As the spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Mohamed El-Shennawy, might attest, the commitment to deeper collaboration is clear, setting a promising trajectory for both nations within the expanded BRICS framework and beyond. It truly feels like a new chapter is unfolding.