Putin, Sisi talk over phone on MENA crisis, Russian agri-shipments

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Mar 2023 22:58

The issues are due to be discussed in the next few days at a scheduled bilateral intergovernmental commission in Cairo.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah e‍l-Sisi at a news conference in Cairo, Egypt, on December 11, 2017 (Reuters)

Per the Kremlin's statement on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a meeting over the phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi at the request of the latter.

Among the topics discussed, one was the matter of resolving the crises in the Middle East and North Africa region, and another was the shipment of Russian agricultural products and implementing projects in the energy and industry sectors.

"In the context of ensuring global food security, Vladimir Putin outlined Russia's approaches to the package of Istanbul agreements on the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports and the export of food and fertilizers from Russia to global markets, emphasizing the need for their comprehensive implementation," the statement read.

The issues are due to be addressed in the next few days at a scheduled bilateral intergovernmental commission in Cairo.

The Kremlin announced further that both presidents took note of the progressive development of cordial and mutually beneficial ties between both nations in the economic sector and the humanitarian field.

Diversification alternatives

In more recent news, Russian Ambassador to Cairo Georgy Borisenko told Sputnik last month that Egypt maintains an active interaction with Russia, despite Western pressure to reduce contacts. As the US and European countries are seeking to restore Africa's colonial dependence as they seek to put an end to the continent's cooperation with Russia.

The diplomat gave as an example Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Cairo in the summer when the G7 countries' ambassadors called on the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the Arab League to cancel his planned meetings there.

In January, the Alyaum as-Sabia news portal reported that Egypt received 63,000 tons of grain from Russia as the malta-flagged PAREA cargo ship landed in the port of Safaga on the Red Sea.

Egypt is Russia’s largest grain importer, and also the biggest grain importer in the world, with some 11-13 million tons being purchased from abroad yearly. So far, since the start of the year, imports from Russia have reached 191,000 tons of wheat.

Because of sanctions against Russia, the US, and the EU have caused massive disruption in supply chains, prompting the North African country to find alternatives for diversification.