Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Cairo on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and other top Egyptian officials, state news agency MENA reported. Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoygu is expected to join the talks in Cairo on Monday, which will be attended by the foreign and defence ministers of both countries. The meetings are set to see discussions on boosting mutual cooperation, joint counterterrorism efforts as well as the developments in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq. Egypt has been engaged in talks with Russia for over a year to discuss the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt. Russia suspended flights to Egypt in 2015 after a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, killing all 224 people on board. Tourists from Russia have traditionally been a key contributor to Egypt's tourism industry, a key source of hard currency for the country.
