Egypt seeks to expand ties with Russia

Egypt’s foreign minister says Cairo will be expanding cooperation with Russia amid a diplomatic row with Washington.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Foreign Minister Sergei Shoigu will travel to Egypt on November 13 to discuss bilateral relations and arms sales.

Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry said during his visit to Cairo that Washington was committed to working with the Egyptian government.

However, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said on Saturday that Cairo is taking a more “independent” stance and broadening its choices.

“Independence is having choices. So the objective of this foreign policy is to provide Egypt with choices, more choices. So I am not going to substitute. I am going to add,” the Egyptian foreign minister stated.

“I see this as a beginning of a new phase,” he added.

The Egyptian foreign minister said Kerry’s visit “left better sentiments here in Egypt,” but he added that it “does not mean everything has been resolved.”

“It does not mean there won’t be hiccups in the relationship in the future.”

The comments came amid a diplomatic spat between Egypt and the United States, which in October suspended a portion of its $1.5-billion annual military aid to Cairo following a deadly crackdown on supporters of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohamed Morsi.

On November 6, the administration of US President Barack Obama announced that it no longer can be “business as usual” with Cairo.

Egypt had close relations with Russia until several years before deceased Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made peace with the Israeli regime in 1979.

The head of Egypt’s armed forces, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, announced on July 3 that Morsi was no longer in office. The Egyptian military suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament as well. It also appointed the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, as the new interim president.

Egypt’s military-backed interim government has launched a bloody crackdown on Morsi supporters ever since. More than 2,000 Muslim Brotherhood members have also been arrested.