Egyptian and Russian foreign ministers discuss development of strategic partnership during ASEAN Ministerial Meeting

Egypt and Russia explored the possibility of developing joint projects and launching seasonal flights during a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila. This was reported on the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s website.

The ministers of the two countries paid particular attention to the implementation of joint economic projects. Badr Abdelatty noted the progress made in the construction of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, in particular the installation of the reactor vessel on the second power unit on 9 July. He welcomed the establishment of a Russian industrial zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone and expressed hope that it would soon become operational. In addition, the parties discussed the creation of a logistics corridor in Egypt for the storage and distribution of grain and petroleum products.

Russia announced the completion of the initial accreditation of two international airports in Egypt, which opens up the possibility of launching seasonal flights between the two countries and should help to boost tourist numbers.

For his part, Sergey Lavrov spoke highly of the level of Russian-Egyptian cooperation and reaffirmed Moscow’s interest in further strengthening the strategic partnership and continuing coordination on issues relating to the regional and international agenda.

Photo: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On the same day, the Russian Foreign Minister also took part in the annual meeting with the foreign ministers of the ASEAN countries, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.

The parties agreed to develop cooperation in the fields of trade, the economy, investment, culture, education and humanitarian interaction. The prospects for expanding the partnership in the areas of food and energy security, digital transformation and the platform economy were highlighted.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry highlighted Myanmar’s contribution as coordinator of the Russia–ASEAN dialogue and expressed confidence that the partnership would continue to develop after these functions are handed over to Vietnam next year.

The ASEAN Ministerial Meetings, the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum on Security are taking place in the Philippine capital from 21 to 23 July 2026. These forums are important platforms for political and strategic dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region.