Russia and Egypt will start joint military training in Egypt for the first time, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday. This training is considered a milestone in Egyptian-Russian bilateral relations.
The Russian ministry announced this in a statement on its official website; however, no official response has yet been made by the Egyptian side.
The Russian statement said the trainings will take place during mid-October, as part of an international counter-terrorism exercise dubbed Defenders of Friendship 2016.
International exercises between the airborne units of Russia and Egypt will be held on the African continent for the first time, the statement read.
In early September, a military delegation from Egypt headed to Russia for meetings and discussions on bilateral military cooperation between the two countries.
During previous visits, the two countries signed several agreements for the renovation of military production factories in Egypt.
Egyptian presidency spokesperson Alaa Youssef denied on Monday that ongoing bilateral discussions would lead to the establishment of a Russian military base in Egypt. This was in response to Russian newspaper reports that Russia is currently preparing to establish military facilities, including an air force base, in northwest Egypt near the Mediterranean Sea.
