Share

Egypt's Sisi visits Putin for arms talks

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hosted his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for talks about Cairo's purchase of advanced surface-to-air missiles and membership in a Moscow-led free trade zone.

The two strong-willed leaders have developed a close working relationship since Putin gave his backing to Sisi's presidential run during the latter's visit to Moscow in February.

Russian television showed the former field marshal strolling with Putin through a Black Sea ski resort used during the recent Winter Olympic Games.

"All the people of Egypt are closely watching my visit and expecting a high level of co-operation between our states," Russian state news agencies quoted Sisi as telling Putin.

"I expect us to meet their expectations."

Sisi also thanked Putin for being the first leader to invite him for a visit outside the Arab world since his swearing in as head of state.

Russia has jumped at the chance to grab a bigger share of the Egyptian arms market after the United States suspended some of its weapons deliveries last year in the wake of Sisi's crackdown on the former Islamic government.

Cairo hosted the Russian defence and foreign ministers in November - the first such visit since the Soviet era - for discussions on an Egyptian arms purchase plan.

Moscow's Vedemosti business daily reported in the wake of Sisi's visit to Moscow that Russia and Egypt were nearing a $3bn weapons agreement that would be financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Mig-29

The report said Moscow and Cairo had already either "initialled or signed" contracts for the purchase of Mig-29 fighters and Russian attack helicopters as well as coastal defence systems.

"Egypt is most interested in air defence systems," said Moscow's World Arms Trade Analysis Centre chief Igor Korotchenko.

"I think that the signing of actual contracts is just a question of time," the analyst said in a telephone interview. "A political-level agreement has already been reached."

A Kremlin statement noted that Egypt was Russia's largest client for its wheat exports and that the two sides would also focus their attention on boosting trade.

Russian state media said the two sides were expected to kickstart negotiations about establishing a free trade zone between Egypt and a customs union Russia has forged with ex-Soviet Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Moscow in recent decades has played a reduced role in helping resolve the Israeli-Palestinian stand-off. The Kremlin has formally backed Gaza mediation efforts currently being conducted in Cairo.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 557 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 799 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.88
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE