Cairo, Oct 16 (TIWN) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar thanked the Indian business community in Egypt for advancing national interests and shaping the country's image in the region.

During an interaction with the Indian community in Cairo on Saturday, Mr Jaishankar also talked about the new opportunities in trade and investments, connectivity, education, health and many other domains in India.  One of the interesting developments this year was that after a long time Egypt has started importing wheat from India, Mr Jaishankar said.  "The good thing about Egypt is that the trade has been reasonably balanced. So there is an inclination on both sides to do more," he said.  Mr Jaishankar underlined that the relationship between India and Egypt is good and the possibilities are greater.  "There is enthusiasm in India to explore it," he said.  According to the website of the Indian Embassy in Cairo, the Indian community in Egypt numbers at around 3,200, most of whom are concentrated in the country's capital. There are also a small number of families in Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia.  A majority of the Indians are either employed with Indian companies or are professionals with various multinationals. About 400 Indian students are studying in Egypt, mainly in Al Azhar University with around 275 students, and the rest in Ain Shams Medical University (around 80 students) and Cairo University, it said.  Mr Jaishankar thanked the Indian diaspora for advancing India's national interests and shaping the country's image in the region.