Cairo--Russia's President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Tuesday, as Moscow seeks to boost ties with a key Arab country whose alliance with Washington has frayed.
Putin is a key non-Arab backer of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has faced US criticism for his deadly crackdown on opponents since he ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Putin's first victim in a decade to Cairo, where he arrived on Monday, also follows a 2011 uprising that toppled ex-strongman Hosni Mubarak, whom the Russian leader met on his previous trip in 2005.
Experts say Putin's visit is also aimed at showing that he is not isolated internationally, despite the crisis in Ukraine.
After brief talks at the airport, the two leaders attended a concert at the Opera House before dining in the capital's landmark Cairo Tower.
On Tuesday, they held formal talks at a presidential palace.
Received with a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute, posters of the Russian leader were plastered on Cairo's main roads greeting him in Russia, Arabic and English.
Officials said the two leaders were expected to sign a host of agreements, including in the field of nuclear energy.
"The leaders will pay special attention to ramping up trade and economic ties between the two countries," the Kremlin said ahead of the visit.
AFP
