On Oct. 17, Russian and Egyptian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed a bilateral agreement on comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation. An initiative to declare 2020 a Year of Humanitarian Partnership was also approved.
These are basically the only publicly known results of the talks between the leaders of two nations, held for the eighth time in the last four years. The event demonstrated that the statements about friendship and partnership stem from practical actions — a good way to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Egypt, which is commemorated this year.
According to Putin, the relations between the two nations “are friendly and mutually beneficial in nature.” Sisi, for his part, pointed out that the conclusion of the partnership agreement would turn a page in the history of bilateral relations, “ensure their long-term prospects and open new horizons.”
The visit by the Egyptian president to Russia lasted three days. It officially started in Moscow, when Sisi delivered a speech at the Federation Council — Russia's senate — and met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Later, the Egyptian president went to Sochi, where Putin first took him to dinner at a waterfront restaurant and hosted official negotiations the next day.
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