MOSCOW, February 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated recommendations for Russian citizens going on holidays to Egypt not leave resort areas.

“Moscow keeps a close watch on developments in friendly Egypt, which continues its course for drastic political and social reforms in compliance with the political process’s roadmap made public by the Egyptian authorities in July 2013,” the ministry said.

“The important stage of the presidential and parliamentary elections is ahead,” the ministry said. “Egypt has to do serious work to resolve other large-scale tasks. The need for mobilizing efforts of the whole society towards modernization of the economic and social sector is evident. No less pressing is the task to strengthen stability and to ensure law and order on the basis of decisive counteraction to extremism and radicalism while maintaining the course to resolve emerging political discrepancies by peaceful means and through nationwide dialogue.”

“A persistent terrorist threat fuelled by regional conflicts and crisis processes creates a challenge for that country,” the ministry said.

Moscow “gives credit for the Egyptian authorities’ efforts to thwart these dangerous threats and highlights practical measures taken to ensure proper security of foreign tourists of the Red Sea resorts and normal operation of the tourist infrastructure.”

“In this respect we consider it important to reiterate the ministry’s previous recommendations for Russian citizens going on holidays to Egypt not to leave resort areas and to refrain from travels across that country, mainly trips to large cities and deep into the Sinai Peninsula,” the ministry said.