Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, have discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and Russia on Wednesday, August 26, according to information released after their telephone conversation.
The two officials emphasised the development of economic exchanges, trade, and investments in line with the directives of Presidents Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Vladimir Putin.
This cooperation is primarily based on major infrastructure projects, including the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant and the future Russian industrial zone located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The ministers welcomed the progress of the El-Dabaa construction project, recently marked by the installation of the pressure vessel for the reactor of the second unit.
Presented as one of the pillars of the bilateral partnership, the power plant is intended to allow Egypt to diversify its energy mix and strengthen its electricity production capacity.
Cairo and Moscow also called for accelerating the procedures necessary for the effective launch of the Russian industrial zone, the realisation of which remains crucial for giving their cooperation a
sustainable productive and commercial dimension.
Tourism constitutes another area of closer cooperation. Badr Abdelatty welcomed the authorisation granted by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency for the opening of direct flights between Russia and the international airports of Alexandria and El-Alamein.
These new routes should facilitate access for Russian visitors to destinations along the Mediterranean coast and reduce the concentration of tourist traffic on Red Sea resorts.
The discussions also focused on the Iranian-Omani proposal to establish a temporary maritime corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Egyptian minister outlined the steps taken by Cairo with regional and international actors to limit escalation and facilitate the resumption of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
Securing this strategic passage remains crucial for energy markets and international maritime trade.
Regarding Gaza, Badr Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation. He called on Israel to respect the commitments stipulated in the first two phases of the American plan and to halt settlement expansion and land confiscations.
The two ministers also discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war, with Cairo reaffirming its support for a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA