Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to discuss the latest developments regarding resuming Russian flights to Egypt’s tourist destinations, and negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) when they meet on Wednesday.



Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived on Tuesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi to attend a Russian-African economic forum that starts tomorrow.



"The two-day Russia-Africa summit in the Black Sea port of Sochi is the first of its kind. It aims at deepening the distinguished and historic ties between Africa and Russia," said El-Sisi’s spokesman Bassam Rady.



El-Sisi will hold a summit meeting with Putin to discuss means of boosting bilateral relations in various domains and at all levels, he added, as well as regional issues.



In statements to the Russian agency Sputnik, Rady said that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue will also be under discussion when the two leaders meet.



Rady said that the GERD is discussed in all international meetings to explain the Egyptian point of view and to demonstrate what has been agreed upon and what is stalled, in order for each side involved to bear their responsibility.



The summit comes within the framework of a comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation agreement inked between Egypt and Russia and the keenness of both countries to promote cooperation and consultations on issues of mutual interest, Rady said.



The Egyptian-Russian meetings will also focus on developments in implementing the Dabaa nuclear power plant; means of increasing the trade between the two countries, especially Egypt’s exports to Moscow; and ways of fostering bilateral cooperation in the fields of security and transport, he added.



El-Sisi will hold one-on-one meetings with African leaders participating in the summit in Sochi, according to Rady.



El-Sisi’s speech at the opening session of the summit will focus on Egypt’s vision for bolstering Cairo-Moscow relations, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Rady said.

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