Egypt's Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk met with India's newly appointed Ambassador to Cairo Suresh Reddy to explore avenues for strengthening agricultural cooperation between the two nations, an official statement said. Farouk highlighted the depth of historical ties between Egypt and India, which have significantly advanced since the declaration of a strategic partnership during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Egypt in June 2023. He highlighted the rising agricultural trade volume between Egypt and India, with Egyptian citrus and grapes already being exported to India. Indian authorities are working to approve Egyptian pomegranate exports, as well as olives and strawberries. Farouk also expressed interest in India's leading expertise in cooperative development, particularly in dairy value chains, where Indian cooperatives have achieved substantial success. Farouk invited the Indian ambassador to visit the New Delta – Egypt's Future sustainable development project, showcasing the country's modern land reclamation and water-saving technologies. Reddy emphasised the importance of joint research initiatives and proposed drafting an agricultural cooperation roadmap to identify priority areas for bilateral collaboration. He also suggested convening virtual meetings of the joint working group to explore high-impact sectors. He also encouraged mutual investments, proposing the establishment of a seed and crop production facility in Egypt to serve African markets. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama