Sisi visit to Russia important

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's participation in Russia's Victory Day is very important, the Egyptian ambassador here has said.

Moscow highly appreciates Egypt's role and position in the region, Mohamed el Badri told the media delegation accompanying Sisi on his visit to Russia.

Sisi is among the first world leaders who received invitations to attend celebrations marking the Victory Day, Badri said.

He is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday, the diplomat added, believing this reflects Moscow's appreciation of the role played by Cairo at the regional and international levels.

He hailed as "close" relations between Moscow and Cairo. Putin particularly appreciates President Sisi, Badri stressed.

Sisi is the first leader to meet Putin for four times in 15 months, the diplomat said. Sisi first visited Russia as minister of defense then he paid a visit to Sochi resort in August 2014, Badri explained, adding that Putin visited Cairo on February 9 before their fourth meeting here tomorrow.

Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were the only Arab leaders invited to attend the celebrations, he noted.

Russia was the first country to recognize the June 30 Revolution, Badri said, adding that Moscow also supported all measures taken by President Sisi following the revolution.

Putin has repeatedly stressed that the support of the Egyptian army for the will of the Egyptian people changed the fate of the whole region, Badri told the media delegation.

He denied claims that relations with Russia have been affected due to Egypt's participation in Operation Decisive Storm against the Houthi group in Yemen. Egypt and Russia are in dialogue about the issue and are exchanging points of view, Badri said, noting that Moscow totally understands Cairo's vision in this regard. Russia has also contributed to evacuating some Egyptian nationals from Yemen, he added.

Asked about economic relations between the two countries, Badri said the balance of trade reached some 5.5 billion dollars in 2014. Of that sum, 580 million dollars amounted to Egyptian exports to Russia.

He said that Russia is considered the biggest exporter of wheat and tourism to Egypt.

According to him, the media has made a big issue out of the Egyptian potato brown rot. A ban imposed by Russia last year on Egyptian potatoes has been lifted by 70 percent following a request and explanation by the Egyptian side, Badri said.

Russian investments in Egypt remain below the level of relations between the two countries, the ambassador acknowledged, pressing for further efforts to increase the flow of Russian investments to Egypt.

No agreements will be signed during Sisi's visit to Russia this time, Badri told Egyptian reporters.

The Egyptian government is currently working on memorandums of understanding that were signed with Moscow in February, he noted.

Badri said that the number of Russian tourists visiting Egypt last year reached 3.167 million. The flow of Russian tourists to the different world destinations has decreased by 33 percent, going down from 22 million in 2014 to only 15 million this year, he noted. But Badri still promised the reporters that a big promotion campaign will be launched in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry to activate the flow of Russian tourism to Egypt. He made it clear that the crisis of the Russian ruble has taken its toll on Russian tourists, particularly those with low spending rates.

Travel agencies in Russia have stressed a desire to work on the Egyptian market, Badri said, noting that Egypt is one of the cheapest tourist destinations worldwide.