Photo of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, ahead of a meeting held on Friday, 9 May 2025, on the sidelines of Moscow's Victory Day parade. (Photo: the Egyptian Presidency)
The leaders met during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow to reaffirm their 2018 strategic partnership and support expanding joint initiatives, including the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant and a Russian industrial zone in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Boosting Russian tourism to Egypt was featured prominently, with both sides aiming to promote new destinations and revive visitor numbers, a key income source for Cairo.
The talks precede the 15th session of the Russian–Egyptian intergovernmental commission, which is set for 12–14 May in Moscow and is expected to explore trade, scientific, and technical cooperation.
El-Sisi and Putin also discussed the Israeli war in Gaza, with the Egyptian president outlining Cairo’s mediation efforts, including ceasefire negotiations, prisoner exchanges and securing access to humanitarian aid.
He repeated calls for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
Putin backed Egypt’s regional role and its Gaza reconstruction plan, adopted unanimously by Arab states in Cairo last March.
The two leaders also addressed conflicts in Syria, Libya, Sudan, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
El-Sisi stressed the need for diplomatic solutions to global crises, warning that instability threatens regional and international security.
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