President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi headed Wednesday to St. Petersburg, Russia to attend the second edition of the Russia-Africa Summit, Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said in a statement.
This year’s edition of the summit will kick off on Thursday with the participation of Egypt and 49 countries represented by nearly 45 heads of state.
Egypt's Ambassador to Russia Nazih El-Nagari’s said in TV remarks on Tuesday the summit will focus on economic and development objectives, particularly in light of the current global economic crisis.
The summit will be divided into two parts: an economic and humanitarian summit on 27 July, followed by a leaders' political summit on 28 July, the ambassador explained.
“Russia has huge capabilities in the economic and development field, and it tries to provide those capabilities to the African states so they can benefit from them,” he said.
El-Nagari added that African nations and Russia intend to boost their trade balance at the summit, up from $18 billion annually at present.
He emphasized that African countries and Russia share mutual goals for the summit, especially economic ones. These are on top of the political understanding expressed during the first summit, he added.
During his visit, El-Sisi will also meet with Putin to discuss enhancing bilateral relations, according to the statement.
Both nations are committed to strengthening cooperation and continuing intensive consultation on issues of mutual interest at the international and regional levels, Fahmy added.
In his remarks to MENA, the Russian ambassador in Cairo highlighted the significance of the upcoming talks between the two presidents in St. Petersburg, which provide an excellent opportunity for in-depth discussions on global and regional matters.
The Russian ambassador stated that El-Sisi “is always an honored guest of Russia” and would receive a warm welcome from his Russian counterpart during his visit.
The ambassador expressed his expectation that these high-level talks, which coincide with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, will propel cooperation between Russia and Egypt.
The summit comes on the heels of already increasing trade exchange between the two countries.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
