Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi stated on Tuesday that his country and Russia are on “a new brilliant page”. He made the remark during the foundation-laying ceremony for Egypt’s first nuclear facility.
The El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant will be built by Russia’s national nuclear energy firm Rosatom.
El-Sissi stated during the event that El Dabaa will be another significant milestone in Russian-Egyptian relations.
He cited the global energy “crisis” and supply chain concerns as motivations for “reviving Egypt’s peaceful nuclear program.”
“It contributes in providing safe, cheap and sustainable energy that helps in reducing our dependency on fossil fuel and avoiding the fluctuation in its prices,” he went on to say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the country’s dedication to new industries and bilateral cooperation.
“We will help to create contemporary industry, qualified jobs, and address social challenges. We will do this collectively since the new energy system allows for it. “This is truly a flagship project in the best traditions of our bilateral cooperation,” Putin said via video link during the occasion.
Putin also stated that he was in “constant contact” with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
“In particular, we exchange opinions and coordinate stances in connection with the tragic development of the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” Russian President Vladimir Putin stated.
A senior Egyptian official recently stated that Egypt and Qatar, which have previously negotiated agreements between Israel and Hamas, are formulating a multi-stage proposal to try to bridge gaps in the process.
The proposal would cease the war, free the captives, and present a strategy for settling the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
Putin also emphasized Russia and Egypt’s efforts to establish a Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal.
He also stated that Russia supported Egypt’s aspiration to become a full member of BRICS, an intergovernmental group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
During the meeting, El-Sissi stated that the foundation laying signified a “new brilliant page on the path of close cooperation between Egypt and the Russian Federation”.