Dmitry Medvedev’s meeting with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Excerpts from the transcript:

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr President, colleagues,

It is a pleasure to welcome you in Moscow. This is a very important visit. You have a very busy schedule, Mr President. Tomorrow you will meet with your counterpart, President Putin, for talks in Sochi. A fundamental agreement on strategic partnership will be signed to mark a new stage of our traditionally friendly relations.

We have special, privileged relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt, which is our key partner in the Middle East. We have many ambitious investment projects. I hope that our meeting and tomorrow’s talks will give an additional impetus to our relations and everything we will agree upon will be implemented.

Lately, we have observed a boost in mutual trade between our countries, with a growth of over one third against last year. We must work to make this trend permanent.  

Even the current weather in Moscow is giving an additional friendly impetus to your visit, and I am positive that it will be marked by new agreements. Let me once again cordially welcome you.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: (via interpreter): Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister. First, I would like to thank you for the hospitality, for the hearty welcome and the opportunity to meet with you.

I would like to point out the following facts to members of the Russian delegation. The relations between our countries have developed very dynamically for over 70 years. I would like to say that the assistance the Russian Federation has provided to our country is remembered and cherished by our people, the people of Egypt, who do not forget that numerous projects were implemented in our country with Russia’s help during the 1950s and 1960s. These are projects in heavy industry, the construction of the Aswan High Dam implemented with the assistance from Russia and Russian experts. It was Egyptian people’s hope, and it is a fact we must remember today because there is a new, young generation that has not seen this, and we have to remind them of it all the time.

Just like in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Russia supported our country and stood by our side during one of Egypt’s most difficult periods in modern history. I am speaking of the revolution of 30 June 2013, when our country found itself in a very difficult situation and was close to collapse. Russia and Mr Putin supported our country at that hard time. We have always remembered it and will never forget it.    

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