Russia vows to boost arms sales to Egypt

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday promised Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sissi to speed up the delivery of billions of dollars in arms and invited Cairo to forge free trade ties with a Moscow-led customs bloc.

The two strong-willed leaders have developed a warm working relationship since Putin gave his backing to El-Sissi’s presidential run during the Egyptian’s visit to Moscow in February.

Russian television showed the former field marshal descending the ramp of his plane and immediately being greeted with a display of heavy tanks and armored vehicles assembled on the apron of the Sochi airport.

“We are actively developing our military and technological cooperation,” Putin later told El-Sissi at the Russian president’s Black Sea resort summer residence.