Russia says air link with Egypt will be restored soon
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia's foreign minister says after talks with his Egyptian counterpart that the two countries are completing preparations for restoring direct flights, which were halted by Moscow after the downing of a Russian passenger jet.
The Russian plane crashed in Sinai on Oct. 31, killing all 224 people on board. Moscow said it was brought down by an explosive device, and a local branch of the extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for planting it.
The crash and Russia's decision to cut the air link to Egypt has dealt a severe blow to Egypt's vital tourism sector.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed the Egyptian authorities for accepting Russian experts' advice on boosting airport security and said that direct flights will resume soon. He didn't mention a specific date.