MOSCOW — The head of Russia’s state industrial holding company said on
Monday that Moscow was on the verge of reaching a landmark agreement to deliver
air defense systems to Egypt’s army.
Rostec chief Sergey Chemezov’s
comments came in the wake of a visit to Cairo last week by Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu devoted to military
and diplomatic ties.
Chemezov told Russia’s state-run
RIA Novosti news agency that “some contracts (with Egypt) have already been
signed — particularly one concerning air defense systems.”
But he later clarified in remarks
to the same news agency that while the deal’s framework had been agreed, the
contract itself had not been signed because of questions about where Egypt was
going to secure the funding.
“Because of arising funding
problems, the Egyptian side is still discussing these contracts,” Chemezov
said.
Moscow’s Vedomosti business daily
reported on Friday that the deals under discussion were worth more than $2
billion and could be financed by Saudi Arabia.
Chemezov confirmed that Egypt’s
new rulers were discussing financing options with their regional allies “and
also want to ask Russia to extend them a corresponding loan.”
He did not say whether Russia was
willing to provide Cairo the required assistance or explain what type of
missiles the deal involved.
The Soviet Union was the main
supplier of arms to Egypt in the 1960s and early 1970s. Cooperation between the
two sides declined after Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty and Cairo began
receiving generous US aid.
But Washington suspended some of
its military aid to Egypt after the July ousting of Islamist president Mohamed
Morsi, and Moscow has been keen to fill the resulting void.
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