Egypt’s top general has hailed a new era of military cooperation with Russia, during a visit by officials from Moscow.<br /><br />As the two countries’ foreign ministers met in Cairo both sides described the visit as historic.<br /><br />No deal has yet been signed, but some analysts believe a major sale of Russian weaponry to Egypt is being concluded.<br /><br />Last month the US said it was withholding some military and economic aid pending progress on democracy.<br /><br />Tension between Cairo and Washington has mounted since the army overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on July 3. <br /><br />Cairo is playing down speculation of a big shift in foreign policy away from Washington. Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said Russia was not meant to be a “substitute” for anyone.<br /><br />But he admitted that Egypt was looking to “reactivate” an old relationship with Russia. <br /><br />Egypt and the Soviet Union were close allies until the 1970s, when Cairo moved closer to the United States, which brokered its 1979 peace deal with Israel.<br /><br />The state news agency quoted General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s army chief and defence minister, as saying the visit<br />indicated the continuation of “historic strategic relations via starting a new era of constructive, fruitful cooperation on the military level”.<br /><br />Speaking from the foreign ministry, euronews correspondent in Cairo Mohammed Shaikhibrahim said: “This historic visit paves the way for the start of a new phase creating a political equation that may restore part of the lost balance here in the Middle East.”
