Russia has lifted its travel warning on Egypt, Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou announced on Thursday. Speaking at a conference of tourism journalists, the minister said he had received the news from the Russian ambassador in Cairo. Twenty-two countries have lifted their travel warnings on Egypt, following recent decisions by Cyprus, Italy, and now Russia. Zaazou welcomed the decision as a very positive sign. Russia is the biggest source of tourists in Egypt with around 1.7 million visiting in the first eight months of 2013. In August, the Russian Federal Aviation Agency ordered airlines to make contingency plans for evacuating Russian tourists from Egypt due to the deterioration of security nationwide following the dispersal of major sit-ins in Cairo and Giza supporting ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Officials from the Russian foreign ministry visited Egypt's Red Sea coast to examine the security situation. Source: Ahram Online
