Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations next year, the Union Ministry of External Affairs announced on Sunday.

This is the first time that the Egyptian president will be the chief guest on Republic Day.

“India and Egypt enjoy warm and friendly relations based on civilizational and deep-rooted people-to-people ties,” the ministry said in a statement. “Both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.”

Egypt is also invited as a guest country during India’s presidency of G-20, or Group of Twenty, an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 nations and the European Union.

The presidency of the G20 is assumed by its members on a rotational basis. India assumed the presidency from the current chair Indonesia on December 1.