Mubarak, Russian defense minister discuss renovating Soviet-built factories
Egypt-Russia, Politics, 11/17/1998

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday discussed with Russian Defense Minister Marshal Igor Sergiev, who handed him a message from his Russian counterpart, means of relaunching military cooperation between the two countries.

Following the meeting, the Russian minister said that talks dealt with the current situation in the area of technical and military cooperation between Russia and Egypt. He indicated that President Mubarak had asserted the need to develop cooperation between the two countries in the context of what had been agreed upon between the two countries during President Mubarak's recent visit to Moscow.

Sergiev indicated that his visit is also in preparation for President Yeltsin's coming visit to Egypt.

Russia has recently proposed to Egypt renovating several Egyptian factories which the former Soviet Union helped to build in Egypt.

The Russian Marshal said that his country hopes for "developing this cooperation in future," adding that this issue was in top of his talks with his Egyptian counterpart Lt. Gen. Muhammad Hussein Tantawi.

The two ministers met on Monday after the Russian minister's meeting with President Mubarak. Replying to a question on the recent change in the Russian position towards the Iraqi crisis, the Russian minister denied any change in his country's stand in this respect. He stressed his country's categorical rejection of a military solution to the crisis. He added that Russia had criticized Iraq's position towards the crisis and believes that Iraq has in the end to cooperate with the UN.

Sergiev told reporters that no progress would be attained in the current situation without lifting sanctions imposed on Iraq.

The Russian Marshal arrived in Cairo on Sunday night from Damascus in an official visit to Egypt at the invitation of Tantawi.

Previous Stories:
  Russian defense minister in Cairo   (11/16/1998)
  Three Russian - Egyptian projects worth 800 million pounds agreed upon   (11/6/1998)
  Russian - Egyptian committee to meet in December   (11/4/1998)

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