Egypt, Russia to Strengthen Military, Technical Cooperation
During a visit to Moscow last week, Egypt's Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu held a meeting to discuss several issues of mutual interest as well as the development of military relations and technical cooperation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of both countries
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 27/08/2018
Source: eng.mil.ru
Egypt's Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki, accompanied by a high-ranking military delegation, has concluded a two-day visit to Russia last week. Gen. Zaki and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu held a meeting to discuss several issues of mutual interest as well as the development of military relations and technical cooperation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of both countries. The two sides also discussed developments in the region and their repercussions on the regional and international arenas as well as cooperation in facing terrorism.
The defense ministers attended the closing session of the fifth meeting between the joint Egyptian-Russian Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation in the presence of a number of military commanders from both sides. Minister Shoigu stated on August 21 that Russia is ready to share experience in the sphere of combating terrorism obtained in Syria with the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Gen. Zaki also participated in the official opening ceremony of the International Military Art Forum (Army-2018), one of the most prominent exhibitions of weapons and military equipment in the world. The Army-2018 international military-technical forum opened in Kubinka outside Moscow on August 21, 2018, and exhibited more than 26,000 military products. Army-2018 received about 90 official delegations from other countries and featured more than 150 events as part of its scientific business program.
On the sidelines of his visit, Zaki held meetings with UAE Minister of State for Defense Mohamed Ahmed Al-Bowardi as well as Oleg Devgalev, the head of the industrial military committee of Belarus.
Russia-Egypt Strategic Relationship
In the past years, one of the most significant geostrategic developments in the Middle East has been Russia’s increasing political and military involvement. Aside from its deepening military and political involvement in Syria, Russia is improving its relations with Egypt.
Egypt is a regional power in the unstable Middle East and strategic cooperation with Cairo is a significant step toward reasserting a regional role that Moscow has not enjoyed since 1970.
Egyptian-Russian relationships have seen major developments since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took over as president, with mutual presidential and ministerial-level visits. Russia is one of the main non-Arab supporters of El-Sisi’s government and was among the first countries to endorse El-Sisi’s presidential bid in 2014.
Cairo has sought to strengthen its ties with Moscow, against the backdrop of strained ties with the Obama administration, since the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Egypt, though interested in forming stronger relations with Russia, primarily seeks to signal to the international community that its foreign policy is not to be dictated by others.
Diversifying the sources of Egypt’s armaments became a priority among state strategists after the June 30 Revolution. Overreliance on one provider was now seen as shortsighted. Egypt was also keen to ensure its armaments policy responded to international political developments, including the growing influence of Russia and China.
Russia offered to sell Egypt modern helicopters jet fighters and air defense systems in a landmark deal reportedly worth $2 billion that would mark a revival of large-scale military cooperation between the two countries.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Cairo on December 11, 2017, to attend the signing of an agreement officially launching work on Egypt's nuclear power plant at El-Dabaa. Egypt's Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker and Alexi Likhatchev, the Director General of Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, have signed the document to commence the project officially.
The nuclear plant will be established in El-Dabaa, located in the Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast. The plan will be implemented by Russian state-owned company Rosatom. The reactor will be composed of four nuclear power units each capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of energy (4,800 megawatts). Rosatom has announced that the company will service the plant’s four reactors for 60 years. President Putin said that "upon the completion of the El-Dabaa project, Egypt will not only benefit from having a nuclear plant but also from gaining the latest and safest technology of nuclear energy."
In what would have been unthinkable during the Cold War, Egypt under El-Sisi has been able to maintain close ties with both Russia and the United States.
During a visit to Moscow last week, Egypt's Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu held a meeting to discuss several issues of mutual interest as well as the development of military relations and technical cooperation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of both countries
Source: eng.mil.ru
Egypt's Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki, accompanied by a high-ranking military delegation, has concluded a two-day visit to Russia last week. Gen. Zaki and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu held a meeting to discuss several issues of mutual interest as well as the development of military relations and technical cooperation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of both countries. The two sides also discussed developments in the region and their repercussions on the regional and international arenas as well as cooperation in facing terrorism.
The defense ministers attended the closing session of the fifth meeting between the joint Egyptian-Russian Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation in the presence of a number of military commanders from both sides. Minister Shoigu stated on August 21 that Russia is ready to share experience in the sphere of combating terrorism obtained in Syria with the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Gen. Zaki also participated in the official opening ceremony of the International Military Art Forum (Army-2018), one of the most prominent exhibitions of weapons and military equipment in the world. The Army-2018 international military-technical forum opened in Kubinka outside Moscow on August 21, 2018, and exhibited more than 26,000 military products. Army-2018 received about 90 official delegations from other countries and featured more than 150 events as part of its scientific business program.
On the sidelines of his visit, Zaki held meetings with UAE Minister of State for Defense Mohamed Ahmed Al-Bowardi as well as Oleg Devgalev, the head of the industrial military committee of Belarus.
Russia-Egypt Strategic Relationship
In the past years, one of the most significant geostrategic developments in the Middle East has been Russia’s increasing political and military involvement. Aside from its deepening military and political involvement in Syria, Russia is improving its relations with Egypt.
Egypt is a regional power in the unstable Middle East and strategic cooperation with Cairo is a significant step toward reasserting a regional role that Moscow has not enjoyed since 1970.
Egyptian-Russian relationships have seen major developments since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took over as president, with mutual presidential and ministerial-level visits. Russia is one of the main non-Arab supporters of El-Sisi’s government and was among the first countries to endorse El-Sisi’s presidential bid in 2014.
Cairo has sought to strengthen its ties with Moscow, against the backdrop of strained ties with the Obama administration, since the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Egypt, though interested in forming stronger relations with Russia, primarily seeks to signal to the international community that its foreign policy is not to be dictated by others.
Diversifying the sources of Egypt’s armaments became a priority among state strategists after the June 30 Revolution. Overreliance on one provider was now seen as shortsighted. Egypt was also keen to ensure its armaments policy responded to international political developments, including the growing influence of Russia and China.
Russia offered to sell Egypt modern helicopters jet fighters and air defense systems in a landmark deal reportedly worth $2 billion that would mark a revival of large-scale military cooperation between the two countries.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Cairo on December 11, 2017, to attend the signing of an agreement officially launching work on Egypt's nuclear power plant at El-Dabaa. Egypt's Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker and Alexi Likhatchev, the Director General of Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, have signed the document to commence the project officially.
The nuclear plant will be established in El-Dabaa, located in the Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast. The plan will be implemented by Russian state-owned company Rosatom. The reactor will be composed of four nuclear power units each capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of energy (4,800 megawatts). Rosatom has announced that the company will service the plant’s four reactors for 60 years. President Putin said that "upon the completion of the El-Dabaa project, Egypt will not only benefit from having a nuclear plant but also from gaining the latest and safest technology of nuclear energy."
In what would have been unthinkable during the Cold War, Egypt under El-Sisi has been able to maintain close ties with both Russia and the United States.
