Republic Day 2023: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to be Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations

Republic Day Chief Guest: The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day 2023 celebrations in January. The news was shared by the Ministry of External Affairs on November 27, 2022. As per the official statement by MEA, this is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the Chief Guest at our Republic Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a formal invitation to the Egyptian President which was handed over to him by the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on October 16, 2022.

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to be the Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations next year: Ministry of External Affairs pic.twitter.com/mTQ329U4Ok

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 27, 2022

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi: President of Egypt

The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hails from the city of el-Gamaliya and was raised in an alleyway that lies on the edge of the Jewish quarter of Cairo’s Old city. Al-Sisi, a devout Muslim has spoken about the diverse composition of where he grew up.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi studied at the military academy in Egypt and later continued his military training at the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College in 1992. He received a Master’s Degree from the US Army War College in Pennsylvania in 2006.

In June 2012, Mohammad Morsi, a senior figure in the Muslim brotherhood became the first democratically elected President of the country. Two months later, he appointed al-Sisi Commander in Chief of the Military and defence minister.

However, a year later, protests again broke out and the military coup happened in July 2013. Al-Sisi then resigned from the military to contest elections in 2014 that he went on to win.

Chief Guests at Republic Day celebrations

1. The leaders of friendly nations have graced the Republic Day celebrations since 1950 when the President of Indonesia Sukarno was invited as the Chief Guest.

2. In 1952, 1953, and 1966, the Republic Day celebrations in India were held without a foreign leader as a Chief Guest.

3. In 2021, the then Prime Minister of Britain Boris Johnson was invited as the Chief Guest, however, his visit had to be canceled because of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

4. In 2022, India invited leaders of the five Central Asian Republic, who were to visit Delhi for the India-Central Asia Summit, as the Chief Guests for the Republic Day celebrations. However, the visit was canceled because of the rising COVID cases in the country.

5. In 2018, the entire ASEAN leadership comprising 10 heads of state was present at Republic Day.

6. In 2020, the then-President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro was the Chief Guest.

India-Egypt Relations

India and Egypt are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

Egypt has also been invited as a Chief Guest during India’s Presidency of G20 in 2022-23. As per the official statement, India and Egypt enjoy warm and friendly relations based on civilizational and deep-rooted people-to-people ties.

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