SM Krishna to sign couple of pacts during 3-day Egypt visit from March 2

NEW DELHI: Union External Affairs Minister Mr SM Krishna is expected to ink a couple of agreements during his scheduled three-day visit to the Egypt beginning from March 2.

After the uprising, this will be the first high-level Indian visit to the North African country.

The three-day visit to Egypt is aimed to intensify economic and business ties. Mr Krishna will co-chair the sixth meeting of the Joint Commission with his Egyptian counterpart, Mohamed Kamel Amr, on March 4.

The meeting is planned to take in charge a complete review of India-Egypt cooperation in the areas of trade and economy, science and technology, culture and information technology, as per the information revealed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The delegation to the Joint Commission comprises officials from several ministries and departments in the close consideration of India's multi-faceted cooperation with Egypt.

Mr Krishna will call on Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the Chief of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces of Egypt, apart from meeting Mr Nabil El Araby, Secretary General, League of Arab States.

The minister will also meet with the leadership of major Egyptian political parties, opinion makers and Indian community representatives. As part of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, he will also uncover a portrait of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in Cairo.