The Russian capital Moscow will host on Monday the fourth round of the “two-plus-two” strategic consultations agreement between Egypt and Russia. The consultations will be between the ministers of foreign affairs and defence of both countries.
According to a statement from Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abou Zaid, the discussions between Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov will address boosting bilateral relations between the two countries in line with the outcomes of the last visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Egypt in December.
Putin’s visit witnessed the signing of the contracts for the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, and was followed by the resuming of Russian direct flights to Egypt in April.
The two ministers will also discuss a number of international and regional issues, including the crises in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, as well as the Iran nuclear deal and the Egyptian-Russian stances regarding these issues. They will also discuss countering terrorism, according to the statement.
The first round of the “two-plus-two” strategic consultations between Egypt and Russia started during a meeting in Cairo in November 2013, followed by a second one in Moscow in February 2014, and the third round was held in Cairo in May 2017.
Relations between Egypt and Russia have been enhanced in the four years since President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi came to power. The two countries share similar points of view regarding the situation in Syria. Both countries support the Syrian army’s fight against the Islamic State (IS) group and other groups fighting against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.
