Moscow — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Egypt hopes to expand its nuclear cooperation with Moscow, including the potential for new reactors after 2030, during a meeting at the Kremlin on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit.
Al-Sisi reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to the timeline and payment obligations for the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, where the reactor pressure vessel for unit two was installed on July 9. The Egyptian president also expressed interest in building a research reactor, small and floating nuclear reactors, and cooperating in uranium and rare metals extraction.
To support the Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, Al-Sisi stated that Egypt is fully prepared to provide all preferences, exemptions, and support to the Russian managing company.
The leaders highlighted growing economic ties during the talks. Putin noted that bilateral trade volume reached a record high of more than $10bn in 2025, and increased by 14% in the first eight months of this year. Putin added that overall Russian-African trade has grown by 1.5 times since 2022, exceeding $27 bn, with Egypt accounting for a significant share.
The two sides discussed preparations for the 16th meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission, which is scheduled to be held in Egypt in 2027, alongside cooperation in grain supplies, health, education, and scientific research.
In the tourism sector, Putin stated that more than 1.2m Russian tourists visited Egypt in the first six months of the year, following approximately 1.5m visitors throughout 2025.
The meeting also covered regional and international diplomacy, following up on a previous exchange of views held on the sidelines of the September 11 BRICS summit in New Delhi. Both leaders stressed the need to de-escalate ongoing tensions in the Middle East to restore regional stability. Putin praised Egypt’s pivotal role in the region and affirmed Russia’s intention to intensify political coordination with Cairo.
Addressing the Horn of Africa, Al-Sisi underscored the necessity of maintaining peace and respecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity. He reiterated that water is an existential issue for Egypt, expressing complete rejection of unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin.
Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Al-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s support for efforts aimed at a political settlement through negotiations to limit the conflict’s international repercussions.
