Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari will represent India at the inaugural ceremony of new Suez Canal in Egypt later this week.
Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the inauguration of the new Suez Canal, who in turn nominated Gadkari for the event, which is scheduled for August 6.
“In view of India’s traditionally warm and friendly ties with Egypt and to reinforce New Delhi’s continued high-level engagement and political commitment to Egypt under Al Sisi Government, the Prime Minister has nominated Gadkari to represent India at the event,” said an official statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Monday.
late last month, Egypt began the trial runs of of new Suez Canal ahead of the formal inauguration on August 6.
Dubbed as Suez Canal Axis, the 72-kilometre project is aimed at speeding up traffic along the existing waterway by reducing the waiting period of vessels, as well as boosting revenues for Egypt.
The project will run part of the way along the existing canal that connects Red Sea to theMediterranean.