MOSCOW – Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi arrived in Russia on Tuesday for his first official visit as president and was immediately shown a selection of Russian military hardware for sale.
Russia, through expanded military and economic cooperation, has been seeking greater influence with Egypt, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East.
The military hardware, including new armored vehicles and missile systems, was put on display at the airport in Sochi for el-Sissi, the former Egyptian army chief, to inspect upon his arrival, Russian news agencies reported. He "listened attentively" to explanations of the weapons systems' potential, the reports said.
He then headed for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the mountains above Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Before sitting down for talks, Putin showed his Egyptian guest a cross-country ski center built for games.
El-Sissi, who was elected president in May, ousted Egypt's democratically elected Islamist president a year ago and then led a violent crackdown that killed hundreds of protesters.
New-York based Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called for an international inquiry into the mass killings and urged Egypt's allies to suspend military aid and cooperation until the Egyptian government adopts measures to end human rights violations. Egypt's government rejected the report.
The United States partially suspended military aid to Egypt following last year's military coup. Within weeks, Russia's foreign minister and defense minister had both paid a visit to Cairo.
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