Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the sidelines of a G20 summit in China, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between the two countries. President Sisi, who received strong backing from Moscow when Washington rejected him during the first months after a military-coup secured him the Presidency, praised Russia’s cooperation with Egypt and its role in maintaining regional security. “And of course during our contacts we always try to underline the importance of fighting terrorism in the light of regional and international events. And of course we always take into consideration the regional interests and security of our citizens. And we believe that thanks to Russia we can reach balance and security in the whole world,” stated Sisi.
The Russian leader took the opportunity to reiterate the historic connection between Moscow and Cairo and noted the strengthening of relations in recent years. “We have rich history of cooperation. And in recent years our bilateral relations became very close and fruitful,” said Putin. Last October, a Russian passenger plane crashed following an explosion that killed some 224 people on board. The Islamic State’s Willayat Sinai claimed responsibility for the attack, which prompted Moscow to suspend flights to Egypt and Israel’s western neighbor in its ongoing battle against Islamist militant groups operating in the lawless Sinai Peninsula.