Putin praises Russia’s relations with Egypt

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Russia’s relations with Egypt. "Egypt is a long-time and trusted partner of Russia. The history of modern diplomatic relations between the two countries that dates back to the year of 1943 has been eventful and colorful," Putin said in an interview with Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram on the eve of his visit to Cairo. "For more than seven decades, both our countries and the international arena have seen numerous transformations. And yet, our desire to work together towards the development of Russia and Egypt as well as ensuring international and regional security has remained unchanged," he said. "It was with the Soviet Union’s support that major economic infrastructure facilities were constructed in Egypt. These include the Aswan dam and large enterprises such as the Helwan iron and steel company and the Nag Hammadi aluminium smelter. We are glad that these industrial complexes continue to function effectively to the benefit of a friendly nation," Putin said. "As for the events of 2011-2013, we welcome the efforts of the Egyptian government and people aimed at strengthening the country’s internal stability, improving its political system and modernizing economy. We have treated with respect the expression of the will by the Egyptian people in the course of the plebiscite held on the draft of the new constitution and the elections of the head of state," he said. "Despite all the difficulties Egypt has faced these past years, our countries managed to keep our bilateral dialogue multidimensional and multiformat. Our meeting with President [Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi that took place on August 12, 2014 in Sochi fully confirmed that," Putin said. "The meeting was very productive and useful. We have once again affirmed that Russia and Egypt share the same determination to further expand relations of friendship and equal cooperation," he said. "Russian-Egyptian relations are developing rapidly. The volume of bilateral trade has increased significantly over the past years: in 2014, it increased by almost half compared to the previous year and amounted to more than $4.5 billion. Clearly, this trend needs to be strengthened. We see great potential for achieving results that are even more impressive," Putin said. "We have established mutually beneficial and effective cooperation in the field of agriculture. Egypt is the major buyer of Russian wheat, Russia provides about 40 percent of grain consumed in the country; as for us, we import fruits and vegetables," he said. "Many Russian companies, including those of the fuel and energy sector, chemical or automotive industry, show interest in the Egyptian market. We see promising prospects in the field of high technology, particularly in the areas of nuclear energy, outer space use and sharing of the Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system," Putin said. "Egypt is also one of the popular vacation destinations for Russian citizens. By the end of 2014, we reached a record number of more than 3 million Russian tourists visiting Egyptian resorts, which is almost 50 per cent more than in 2013. Russia highly appreciates Egyptian hospitality and those measures which are taken to ensure the safety of our tourists in the resorts of the Red Sea," he said. "I am convinced that a multi-faceted dialogue between Russia and Egypt will continue to deepen and expand for the benefit of the peoples of our countries, for the sake of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa," Putin said. Read more