Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is to start a foreign tour Tuesday in which he will be heading to India, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the presidency said in a statement. Spokesperson to the presidency Alaa Youssef said al-Sisi will begin his tour by visiting the UAE to discuss bilateral relations and topics related to Middle East crises and means to fight extremist thought. Youssef said the Egyptian president would then head to India, which marks his first visit to the country since he was sworn into office in June 2014. The president is expected to attend the third India Africa Forum Summit that will involve more than 40 African countries to discuss ways to develop economic cooperation between India and the African continent and promote mutual investment. Youssef said the Egyptian president is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart and also the country's prime minister on the sidelines of the summit to discuss means of economic cooperation, especially around the New Suez Canal. The spokesman pointed out that the president will then head to the kingdom of Bahrain, to meet with King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. The two leaders will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and follow up on existing coordination between them to cope with current regional challenges. The last foreign visit for the Egyptian president was his Asian tour, which took place 30 August to 5 September. Sisi has visited a number of countries, including Singapore, China and Indonesia, since assuming office in June 2014. Source: Ahram Online
