Russia’s Putin on two-day visit to Egypt February 10, 2015 - 08:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day visit to Egypt, as both sides aim to boost bilateral ties and discuss major regional security issues, BBC News reports. Ahead of his trip, he described Egypt as Russia's "old and trusted partner". Putin is seen as a key backer of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has been criticized by the West over his crackdown on dissent. Sisi, the former army chief, was elected president after previous leader Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013. Hundreds of supporters of the former Islamist president have died in clashes with police and security services. Putin landed arrived in Cairo late on Monday, Feb 9. He was greeted by President Sisi. The two leaders attended a cultural show at Cairo's opera house on Monday, with formal talks due on Tuesday morning. In an interview with Egypt's state-run al-Ahram newspaper, the Russian leader hailed "dynamic" bilateral relations, saying that trade increased by almost 50% in 2014 compared with the year before. Putin also suggested the two countries would discuss ending the use of the U.S. dollar in bilateral trade, switching to national currencies instead. The two presidents are also expected to hold talks on the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian issue.  Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity  The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization.Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia.Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty.Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |
