In Egypt, Indian PM to honour Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in World War 1

 During his upcoming visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tribute to Indian soldiers who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives during World War 1.

PM Modi will pay a visit to the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, during his stay. This sombre location acts as a memorial to the almost 4,000 Indian Army soldiers who served and lost their lives in Egypt and Palestine during World War 1.

The Heliopolis Memorial, honouring the valiant Indian warriors, is housed in pavilions near the cemetery's entrance. Tragically, during the Israeli-Egyptian War in the 1970s, the original memorial in Port Tewfik was destroyed. PM Modi has repeatedly highlighted the outstanding service of Indian soldiers in both world wars.

In 2015, in order to pay tribute to the thousands of Indian troops who lost their lives while fighting alongside the French in World War 1, he went to the Neuve-Chapelle military memorial in Lille, France. Similar actions were taken to honour the Indian soldiers during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to Egypt in 2022.

At that time, Jaishankar wrote on Twitter, "Indians have made sacrifices across the world in the service of humanity. They inspire us as we strive to create a more contemporary and equitable global order."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit Egypt from April 24 to 25, following his state visit to the United States (US) from April 21 to 24. This trip can be seen as a reciprocal gesture, strengthening relations between Egypt and the Republic of India, especially after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's visit to India as the chief guest during the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 in India this year. 

Indian and Egyptian leaders can also sign a pact to boost India-Egypt ties.