Egyptian President arrives in New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 16 : Egyptian President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak has arrived in New Delhi for a four-day visit to India.

The President is accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers, senior officials and businesspersons.

Mubarak is visiting India after 25 years. He last came here in 1983 on a state visit.

President Mubarak will address the Indo Egyptian Business Forum on Monday.

On Tuesday, President Mubarak will be presented the Jawahar Lal Nehru Award for International Understanding, which was conferred on him for the year 1995.

The focus of Mubarak's visit will be on intensifying strategic and economic cooperation between India and Egypt, old friends and founders of non-aligned movement and South-South cooperation.

A Ministry of External Affairs press release said that during his visit, Mubarak would meet with President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The Vice President, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani will call on Mubarak.

President Patil will also host a State Banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary on Tuesday. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.

Bilateral trade between India and Egypt touched 2.2 billion dollars in 2006. The two countries are eyeing an ambitious target of achieving 10 billion dollars worth of bilateral trade by 2010.

ANI