Egypt, Russia hold high-level talks amid strained ties with US

The establishment of a WMD-free West Asia and Israeli-Palestinian peace process featured during rare top-level talks between Russia and Egypt here today amid heightened speculation over a major shift in Cairo's foreign policy.
The talks between Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov came amid Egypt's strained relations with its key ally, the US, following the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi by the army in July.
Moscow's first highest-level visit to Cairo in decades, which came a month after the US suspended part of its annual military aid to Egypt, aims to boost economic, political and security ties between the two countries.

"We look forward to cooperation with Russia in multiple fields, because of Russia's significance in the international arena," Fahmy told reporters after the meeting that covered a range of issues from foreign policy to tourism.
Middle East peace process and efforts exerted by the US for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks also featured during the meeting, Fahmy said.
The two leaders also discussed international and regional security and called for establishing a region free of weapons of mass destruction in West Asia and North Africa.

The presence of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who held a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has set off rumours of a multibillion-dollar arms deal. However, officials from the countries made no mention of any such deal.

Fahmy called his meeting with Lavrov as an "activation" of existing ties and said: "We seek to energise a relation that is already in existence".
When asked whether Russia would replace the US as his country's chief ally, Fahmy said Egypt was not looking for a "substitute for anyone" and that Russia was too significant for such a role.
He said there is an "old record" of cooperation between Egypt and Russia in various fields such as military and economy. The cooperation in the field of trade and investments is also expanding, Fahmy added.
Egypt was Moscow's closest Arab ally for two decades since 1950s. But in 1972, then president Anwar Sadat realigned the country's foreign policy, taking his nation closer to the US.

Lavrov described his meeting with Fahmy as "historic" and said: "Egypt is not just a regional power, but a country with which Russia has long historical ties. We have been friends with the Egyptian people for decades."
"Russia would like to see a stable Egypt with a prosperous economy and an efficient political system," he said.
The situation in Syria and efforts to convene the Geneva II conference for a political solution to the war-torn country were also discussed, Fahmy said.
"We tackled the situation in Syria and efforts exerted and action aimed at holding Geneva II to seek political solution to the situation in Syria," he said.