MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. Russia thinks that Egypt’s evaluation of affairs in the Middle East and Africa is important, including settling conflicts and promoting cooperation in various formats, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, opening talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday.
"For us, your assessments and considerations with regards to approaching the affairs in the Middle East and the African continent have always been invaluable, including settling conflicts and promoting cooperation in various formats," he said. According to the Russian top diplomat, Russia values "Egypt’s traditionally responsible and balanced position on regional and international issues and the country’s aspiration to seek political agreements on any crises and conflicts."
"Egypt is our good friend and reliable partner not only in the Middle East but also in international affairs in general," he added.
Lavrov noted that he was hoping to discuss with his Egyptian colleague "bilateral relations, tasks on their further development under modern conditions that exist in the international economy and finance." "I hope that we will discuss our interaction at the UN which, like the rest of the world, is going through difficult times due to the attempts to inflict on the international community, instead of the principles of the UN Charter, some rules that nobody has seen but that the West wants everyone to follow," he added.
The Russian foreign minister also said that in August the two countries would mark the 80th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. "We will coordinate plans which will allow us to properly celebrate this event," he concluded.