Signing five key accords, including an extradition treaty, on Tuesday India and Egypt pledged to jointly combat the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The agreements lay a 'sound basis for a vibrant strategic partnership' between the two ancient civilizations - India and Egypt.

One of the five agreements signed was on cooperation in outer space and a MoU for cooperation in trade and economic fields. A MoU on increasing links in health and medicine was also signed, as was another agreement on the abolition of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports.

The visiting Egyptian leader, who arrived here on Sunday on a four-day visit, was given a ceremonial welcome in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday before talks with Singh began. According to official sources, during the official-level talks, Manmohan Singh and Mubarak - who was visiting India after a gap of 25 years - touched a wide-range of bilateral as well as international issues, including the situation in West Asia, which has been a cause of concern to both countries.

At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the talks, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that the global war against terror must be given a renewed push, and the world community should take 'collective action' against the menace. Mubarak also called for cooperation between developed and developing countries to address the "recessionary pressures in the world economy" and to "restructure the international financial architecture."

The Indian PM described Mubarak as a great "world leader." He said: "It is my firm belief that the time has come for India and Egypt to rekindle the special nature of our bilateral relations based upon the immense goodwill that exists between our two peoples."