CAIRO: Egypt and Russia’s defence ministers have discussed military collaboration between their countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday during a landmark visit to Cairo.
Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu led a high-level delegation on a visit in the wake of a diplomatic spat between Egypt and its ally the United States triggered by the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi.
Shoigu and “his counterpart (General Abdel Fattah Al) Sisi talked on military collaboration” between the two nations, Lavrov told a Cairo news conference, without elaborating.
Last week, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said the discussions would touch on “military and technical cooperation” — a Russian euphemism for arms sales — as well as political and economic ties.
Lavrov told the news conference with Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmy that talks had also touched on boosting economic and trade ties.
Fahmy said “bilateral ties between Russia and Egypt are old, in particular in military areas, and this was discussed by the Russian defence minister with his Egyptian counterpart yesterday.”
The talks came as a Russian warship docked at an Egyptian base on the Red Sea, army sources said, adding that it was the second such vessel to arrive this week.
Lavrov declined to be drawn into commenting on political developments in Egypt, where the new government has launched a massive crackdown on Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood and put most of its leaders, including Mursi, on trial.
“Russia is against any foreign intervention in internal affairs and we respect Egypt’s sovereignty and the rights of Egyptian people to determine their future,” he said.
Before ending their visit, the Russians also met interim president Adly Mansour, when Lavrov offered “the support of Russia to the people of Egypt during this difficult transitional period,” state news agency MENA reported.
Analysts said Egypt’s strategy to reach out to Russia was a “smart move” but it would not lead to any fundamental change in the near term.
AFP
