Russia, Egypt seal preliminary arms deal worth $3.5 billion
12 replies, posted
[IMG]http://egyptianstreets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/putn.jpeg[/IMG]
[QUOTE](Reuters) - Russia and Egypt have reached a preliminary deal for Cairo to buy arms worth $3.5 billion (£2.1 billion) from Moscow, Interfax news agency quoted the head of a Russian state arms agency as saying on Wednesday.
Speaking during an arms trade exhibition in South Africa, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Alexander Fomin, did not give further details.
Russia, the world's second-largest arms exporter, has sought to boost its military ties with Egypt after relations between Cairo and its long-standing ally Washington soured, causing some defence cooperation between the two countries to be frozen.
The head of Rosoboronexport, a state body that deals with arms exports, said the value of the agency's order book was high in spite of Western sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine.
"Today our orders portfolio stands at $38.7 billion. This is one of the strongest figures Rosoboronexport has had in recent years," Anatoly Isaykin told a news conference at the same arms expo, according to Interfax.
The United States and European Union have targeted Russia's arms industry as part of sanctions against Moscow for what they call its role in fanning separatist unrest in Ukraine.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/17/uk-russia-egypt-arms-idUKKBN0HC1A320140917[/url]
Egypt new Middle East/African superpower?
[QUOTE=LtKyle2;46007041]Egypt new Middle East/African superpower?[/QUOTE]
They're a good candidate to be a regional power, and one of the dominant forces of the region. But I have high doubts that they could have regional hegemony, especially with turkey and saudi arabia around.
[QUOTE=laserguided;46007172][IMG]http://vid.alarabiya.net/images/2014/08/12/14af29eb-f61f-4207-a279-799455d01217/14af29eb-f61f-4207-a279-799455d01217_16x9_600x338.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
[I]"these sunglasses, i like them, i think i keep"[/I]
I thought Sisi was our buddy? Anyway, an arms deal probably doesn't mean much as far as US relations with Egypt. You can't deny the timing may have some symbolical significance.
[QUOTE=Smooth Jazz;46008711]I thought Sisi was our buddy? Anyway, an arms deal probably doesn't mean much as far as US relations with Egypt. You can't deny the timing may have some symbolical significance.[/QUOTE]
Haha no he is not.
[QUOTE=laserguided;46008720]Haha no he is not.[/QUOTE]
I thought we supported the coup?
[QUOTE=Smooth Jazz;46009197]I thought we supported the coup?[/QUOTE]
Somewhere along the line Egypt and U.S. had a fall out in relations and Russia swept in and now they're buying guns, importing gas and grain and are looking at much more economic and military cooperation.
[QUOTE=Smooth Jazz;46008711]I thought Sisi was our buddy? Anyway, an arms deal probably doesn't mean much as far as US relations with Egypt. You can't deny the timing may have some symbolical significance.[/QUOTE]
We still maintain close relations with Egypt (Jordan as well)
I don't think that Egypt is suddenly cutting ties with the US.
[quote]
The United States and European Union have targeted Russia's arms industry as part of sanctions against Moscow for what they call its role in fanning separatist unrest in Ukraine.[/quote]
That's rich coming from the states.
[QUOTE=Smooth Jazz;46008711]I thought Sisi was our buddy? Anyway, an arms deal probably doesn't mean much as far as US relations with Egypt. You can't deny the timing may have some symbolical significance.[/QUOTE]That went down the toilet when Sisi turned out to be Mubarak Mk.II, especially with that sham trial in which something over 500 people were tried at the same time (in the same courthouse, no less) and all sentenced to death. Not that the Muslim Brotherhood was a better option, really, but at the very least they had the advantage of being democratically elected.
[QUOTE=Smooth Jazz;46009197]I thought we supported the coup?[/QUOTE]
Not initially. The U.S. government's reaction to the coup was very lukewarm at first, they even cancelled the sale of some military hardware and reduced some aid. In Egypt there was also the widespread suspicion that the U.S. was still sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood. Even though they have tried to become more friendly to the new regime lately, the trust has already been shaken.
Sisi knows that America has a bad habit of changing it's allegiances with terrifying suddenness. For example; Assad was once considered by certain American officials a "reformer". Sisi wants to find a new friend in the event that the United States has another change of heart.
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