FM Shoukry says Egypt ready to cooperate with Russia in coronavirus vaccine production

CAIRO – 29 October 2020: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Thursday has expressed Egypt’s readiness to cooperate with Russia in jointly manufacturing and producing the Russian coronavirus vaccine, as he met with the Russian industry minister.

As he was received by minister Denis Manturov in the ministry’s headquarters in Moscow, Shoukry expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with Russia in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

He also affirmed the need of continuous coordination between health committees from both countries to combat the novel virus.

Concerning the energy and transportation file, Shoukry and Manturov hailed the Egyptian-Russian cooperation in the railway field, especially a recent deal to import 1,300 train carriages from Russia to Egypt.

Shoukry said this deal is the biggest in the Egyptian railway history.

The ministers discussed developments related to the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and affirmed commitment to accomplish the project.

Shoukry expressed Egypt's commitment to move towards completing the procedures for implementing the Russian industrial zone project in the Suez Canal axis, as one of the largest strategic cooperation projects between the two sides.

The Egyptian minister also voiced Egypt’s aspiration to resume charter flights between Russian cities and the Egyptian cities of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, especially as Egyptian airports abide by the highest security measures.