Russian defense minister stresses keenness to boost strength of Egyptian Army

CAIRO - 12 November 2019: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday that Russia is ready to boost the strength of the Egyptian Armed Forces' defense capabilities.

During his meeting with President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Russian defense minister added that Russian President Vladimir Putin sends his greetings to the Egyptian president.

Shoigu pointed out that Egypt occupies a leading position on the African continent and remains Russia's strategic ally in the region.

He noted that Egypt has gained this status in light of the leadership of the Egyptian president and the Egyptian Armed Forces that guarantees the stable development of the country and hinders the spread of terrorism in North Africa.

Shoigu arrived in Egypt with his delegation on Tuesday. The Russian delegation will participate in the sixth meeting of the Russian-Egyptian Committee for Military and Technical Cooperation to discuss a number of international and regional security issues as well as the situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Both sides will also tackle priority issues of the Russian-Egyptian military and technical cooperation.