img class="wp-image-253372" src="http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/beta/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Sedki-Sobhy-in-Russia.jpg" alt="Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi left Saturday for the Russian capital Moscow, leading a high army delegation in an official visit to hold "important negotiations" with high Russian army officials. (Photo Armed Forces Handout)" width="300" height="209"/ By Islam Salah Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi left Saturday for the Russian capital Moscow, leading a high army delegation in an official visit to hold "important negotiations" with high Russian army officials. The visit aims at increasing the collaboration in the military and security fields between the two countries, the military spokesperson said in a statement Saturday. He added that the visit comes in the light of the strategic Egyptian-Russian relations following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Egypt and his meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Hassan Nafaa, Political Science Professor at Cairo University, said: "The negotiations come in light of an Egyptian-Russian arms deal , which was a result of the Egyptian President Al-Sisi's visit to Moscow and seeking specially for more arms and logistical help for facing terrorism." Al-Sisi has improved relations with Russia since rising to power after the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood government and former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. He has paid two visits to Russia, first as defence minister, and then as elected president in 2014. In his earlier visit as defence minister, Al-Sisi and Putin agreed on a $3.5bn deal, through which Russia provides Egypt with MIG-29 fighter jets, MI 35 helicopters as well as Kornet anti-tank missile systems . The deal has so far not been implemented. However, Al-Sisi and Putin also discussed dropping the US dollar exchange in trade between the two countries, to counter the depreciation of the Russian Rouble due to US and EU sanctions.
