Military cooperation between Moscow and Cairo has been expanding, Russia’s Acting Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhy on Monday, TASS reports.
"There has been a sustainable positive trend toward growing military cooperation," Shoigu said. "We are pleased to see Egypt’s intention to provide modern Russian-made weapons and military equipment to the its armed forces," he added.
At the same time, the acting Russian defense minister pointed out that Moscow would like Cairo to strengthen its leading position "in ensuring regional security and stability." "We see visible progress in bilateral relations," he said.
According to Shoigu, Russia values the Egyptian authorities’ wish to boost multifaceted relations between the two countries, "including in the military area, as well as Cairo’s constructive stance on major security issues facing the Middle East and North Africa."
Shoigu went on to say that holding two-plus-two meetings between the foreign and defense ministers was important for Russian-Egyptian cooperation as participants had "a unique opportunity to compare their positions on pressing bilateral issues."
"We intend to continue boosting military cooperation in every field of mutual interest," Shoigu concluded.