Putin informs Sisi on meeting details with Syrian president

CAIRO – 11 December 2017: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi that he would inform him of the details of his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad earlier on Monday, and he also stressed “the many upcoming good projects, including the Dabaa nuclear power plant.”

Russia Today reported that Putin told the Egyptian president that he would also update him on Russia’s agreements with the leaderships of Turkey and Iran regarding the next steps of the political settlement in Syria.

The Russian president held a sudden meeting with his Syrian counterpart in a military base in Syria prior to his visit to Egypt. "I order the Defense Ministry and the chief of the General Staff to begin the pullout of the Russian military group to permanent locations," Putin told an audience of military personnel Monday, according to TASS.

This visit marks Putin's first trip to Syria and comes as Assad's forces have regained control over most of Syria under Russian air cover. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Sergey Surovikin, commander of the Russian troops in Syria, accompanied Putin during his trip to Syria's coastal province of Latakia.

The air base has served as the main foothold for the air campaign Russia has waged since September 2015 in support of Assad.

In his second official visit to Egypt since President Sisi assumed power in 2014, President Putin will discuss ways of enhancing bilateral relations between their countries.

Both leaders will attend the inauguration of Egypt's first nuclear power plant, which is located at the Mediterranean city of Dabaa in Marsa Matrouh, Egyptian Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker told Egypt Today.

A Russian delegation consisting of 35 officials arrived in Cairo on Thursday to prepare for Putin's visit to the capital, according to security forces at Cairo International Airport.

On September 5, Sisi invited Putin to attend the final signing ceremony of the Dabaa plant in Egypt, and Putin announced that he accepted the invitation. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail announced that the foundation stone of the Dabaa nuclear power plant will be laid soon.

In February 2015, the Russian president visited Egypt and attended the signature of a number of deals between Cairo and Moscow.