Sisi, Putin agree to fully resume flights between Egypt, Russia

 

CAIRO – 23 April 2021: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call on Friday to fully resume flights between the two countries, especially to the coastal cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, after six years of hiatus to these touristic destinations.

 

Flights between two countries were suspended at late October 2015 after a bomb downed a Russian flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group.

 

In January 2018, Russia decided to resume the flights to Egypt’s Cairo International Airport after Egypt has been implementing new, tighter security measures at all of its airports to meet the Russian demands necessary for the resumption of flights.

 

President Sisi welcomes the resumption of flights between Egypt and Russia, hoping that this decision contributes to advancing bilateral relations between the two countries, said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement on Friday.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that his country is keen to enhance cooperation with Egypt, praising Egypt’s achievements in the fields of economic and social development, besides the establishment of mega national projects.

 

Putin added that Russia is counting on Egypt's pivotal role in stabilizing its entire regional environment, Radi 

 

Both leaders discussed Egyptian-Russian joint projects such as the Dabaah nuclear plant in Egypt and other projects in economic zone of the Suez Canal axis. They also discussed other regional issues, particularly the Libyan file.