The Russian and Egyptian foreign ministers on Tuesday lauded their close relations after discussing the Ukraine war and tensions between Palestine and Israel.
Sameh Shoukry and Sergey Lavrov cited an annual trade volume of $6 billion and the construction of a nuclear power plant in Egypt as signs of their developing relationship after meeting in Moscow.
Russia and Ukraine were Egypt's largest suppliers of wheat, a staple for most of the Arab nation's 104 million people. On the eve of the war in Ukraine, visitors from the two nations accounted for more than 30 per cent of tourists in Egypt.
Egypt and Russia are also bound by close military ties, with Cairo in recent years procuring Russian-made helicopter gunships and fighter jets. Their forces regularly hold joint war games.
Mr Shoukry left for Moscow on Monday only hours after he met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo and a week after CIA chief Robert Burns visited Egypt. Mr Blinken left Cairo on Monday for Jerusalem. He was in the West Bank on Tuesday.
Mr Blinken’s Middle East tour has been overshadowed by the outbreak of deadly violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
“There is no substitute for the continuation of communication between us,” Mr Shoukry said in response to a reporter’s question on whether Cairo and Moscow were jointly seeking to defuse Palestinian-Israeli tensions.
“We look forward to this joint effort, together with that of other partners, to come to fruition and end the circle of escalation.”
The two ministers said they also discussed the political crisis in Libya, whose two rival administrations are yet to agree on the terms of elections that were to take place in December 2021. They also discussed Russia-Ukraine war and developments in Syria, where Russia militarily intervened in 2015 on the side of President Bashar Al Assad’s government against its foes.
“At the request of the Egyptians, we offered them a detailed review of the situation in Ukraine … and how western powers are fuelling the conflict there,” said Mr Lavrov.
“I have emphasised Egypt’s interest in creating conditions that end the military confrontation in Ukraine,” said the Egyptian minister.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE
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Japan
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
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A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray