Egypt and Russia today celebrate 82 years of diplomatic relations characterized by continuous cooperation across political, commercial, economic, and cultural fields, reflecting the depth of their strategic partnership. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on its official Facebook page that cooperation between Cairo and Moscow has been steadily developing within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement effective since 2021. The two countries maintain regular high-level contacts, including a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit held in Kazan in October 2024, as well as President El-Sisi’s participation in the military parade in Moscow in May.

2024 also saw intensive diplomatic activity between the foreign ministers of both countries, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holding talks with then Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in Nizhny Novgorod in June, and later meeting his successor, Minister Badr Abdel Aati, during a working visit to Moscow in September. The statement highlighted that Egypt’s official accession to the BRICS group in January 2024 gave a strong boost to bilateral relations and enhanced joint coordination within the United Nations and multilateral platforms. It also noted the importance of the Russian-Egyptian Joint Governmental Committee for Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, which held its last meeting in May chaired by Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan Khatib and his Russian counterpart Anton Alikhanov. Trade volume between the two countries reached about $9 billion in 2024, making Egypt Russia’s largest trading partner in Africa.

Regarding tourism cooperation, the statement pointed out that Egypt remains a preferred destination for Russian tourists, with around 1.6 million Russian visitors in 2024. The Russian Foreign Ministry concluded by congratulating the Egyptian people on the anniversary of diplomatic relations and reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to continue developing and strengthening all aspects of bilateral relations with Cairo.