Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meeting in Manila.
The two ministers welcomed the strong and wide-ranging relations between Egypt and Russia and affirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in line with the directives of both countries’ leaderships.
Abdelatty welcomed the installation of the second reactor’s pressure vessel at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant on 9 July, praising the progress made in implementing the project.
He also welcomed the announcement of the industrial developer for the Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and expressed hope that the zone would begin operating soon. The project is expected to increase Russian investment in Egypt and support trade, industrial and economic cooperation.
The ministers also discussed steps to establish a logistics centre in Egypt for grain and petroleum products, aimed at facilitating trade and the movement of priority goods between the two countries.
The Russian side confirmed that preliminary approval had been granted to Alamein and Alexandria international airports, paving the way for seasonal flights and increased Russian tourism to Egypt.
The talks also addressed regional developments. Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s efforts to reduce tensions and called for continued reliance on diplomacy and negotiations.
He stressed the importance of protecting freedom of navigation in international waterways under international law and ensuring the security of shipping without disrupting vessel traffic. He warned that any restrictions could harm the global economy and energy security.
On Sudan, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the country’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions. He called for a ceasefire, safe and sustained humanitarian access and an inclusive Sudanese political process that meets the people’s aspirations for security and stability.
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