Putin to visit Egypt next year: Russian envoy

CAIRO - 18 November 2019: Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a visit to Egypt next year at President Abdel Fatah El Sisi’s invitation, said Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov in media remarks on Monday.

He added that Moscow and Cairo are contacting to hold the leaders’ anticipated summit, noting that it has been agreed that two summits would be held annually.

"We are in contact with our Egyptian friends in regard to preparations for our president’s visit because [Moscow and Cairo] actually agreed to hold summits every year, in fact, twice a year, in Russia and Egypt. I think a meeting will take place in Egypt next year. The visit will mark important developments in our strategic partnership with Egypt," Bogdanov told TASS.

During his participation in the 2019 Russian-African Summit in Russian city of Sochi in October, President Sisi invited Putin to attend the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of Dabaa nuclear power plant.

Sisi and Putin met nearly eleven times since 2014. Their last two summits were during April and June 2019 during the G20 summit in Japan and the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing, respectively.

On November 12, 2019, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Egypt and met with President Sisi, announcing that his country is ready to boost the strength of the Egyptian Armed Forces' defense capabilities.