Lavrov: Egypt's stability to positively affect Mideast

Moscow and Cairo see eye to eye on the Syrian conflict, Lavrov said, asserting the Syrian people have the right to determine their own fate in line with the UN Security Council Resolution. 

He went on to say that Russia and Egypt agreed to boost bilateral cooperation within "International Syria Support Group" (ISSG) in the context of these positive changes that have been noted lately.

He pointed to the success of the Russian-US initiative to stop the hostilities in Syria and increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged areas.

Also, Lavrov and Shoukry exchanged views on the current situation in Yemen and called for an immediate ceasefire and resuming talks in preparation for the start of a broad political process. 

The political process will help restore Yemen's stability, the Russian top-diplomat underlined, saying that Russia supports the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. 

As for Libya, Lavrov said that Russia and Egypt urge all major international players to unify their efforts and foster cooperation to solve the Libyan crisis, highlighting the UN Security Council's call for all warring parties in Libya to engage in a political process and form a national unity government.

With regard to the Palestinian cause, Lavrov said that Russia asserted the importance of taking all necessary steps to end the escalation on the ground, urging all Palestinians to agree on a unified stance to put into force the Arab Peace Initiative.

Russia is keen on reviving the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks as soon as possible, Lavrov underscored.

During his meeting with Shoukry, Lavrov said that they touched on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation to put into force all agreements inked between the Egyptian and Russian presidents and also decisions taken during the meetings of the Egyptian-Russian committee on on economic cooperation. 

Russia is committed to establishing a nuclear power plant and an industrial zone in Egypt as well as improving the railway system, according to Lavrov.

“We raised the issue about the resumption of direct air service between our countries in order to help to increase tourist exchange, the volume of which decreased for obvious reasons, Lavrov said. – Agreed to decide the issue of resumption of flights as soon as possible while ensuring high security standards for Russian citizens. We appreciate those contacts, which were held and are continuing between civil aviation authorities and other competent authorities of Russia and Egypt on the completion of these procedures, which will allow as soon as possible to resume direct air links," Lavrov said.

“Meanwhile, the Russian side is actively working on opening a General Consulate in Hurghada – said Lavrov. It will be important for the further development of tourist relations. And we will open this Consulate General in the current year," Lavrov stressed.

He hailed as fruitful his talks with Shoukry, expressing hope the talks would help bolster bilateral cooperation. For his part, Shoukry said that Egypt is committed to following up its strategic ties with Russia, pointing to the frequent contacts between the two countries' officials in several occasions.

This communication provides a great momentum for Egyptian-Russian relations and offers a new opportunity to boost cooperation in different fields, notably the political and cultural ones, Shoukry said in a press conference with Lavrov. 

Egypt has significant economic ties with Russia and works on exploring new opportunities for cooperation, Shoukry said.

The Egyptian and Russian foreign ministers discussed the volatile situation in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya as well as the Palestinian cause. 

Egypt and Russia are working closely with regard to several files, Shoukry said, asserting the Egyptian-Russian cooperation is based on the principle of respect for international law, the UN charter and the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts in the world. 

He called for fostering cooperation and coordination with Russia, saying that Russia is key player in the world while Egypt is an important country with regional influence.

During his meeting with Lavrov, Shoukry said they talked about the ongoing efforts to stabilize Egypt's economy, especially in this harsh time.

Egypt's stability is part and parcel of the Middle East's stability, Shoukry noticed.

Egypt is depend on Tourism noticeably as being a major source of income, according to Shoukry.

Egypt welcomes cooperating with Russia in the field of airports' security to resume Russian flight to Egypt, Shoukry highlighted.

With regard to the influx of foreign fighters from the Russian-Turkish borders, Shoukry stressed that the international community should find solutions to stop spreading of terrorism and prevent the inflow of foreign fighters via borders as well as cutting off technical and financial aid to terror groups. 

Several Terror groups managed to establish a foothold in Syria, calling for stepping up efforts to eradicate those terror organizations, Shoukry underlined.

Source: MENA