Sisi Offers Putin Expanded Nuclear Cooperation and New Reactors Beyond 2030

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced during his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin that Egypt is seeking to expand its nuclear cooperation with Moscow, including additional reactors after 2030. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit.

Sisi affirmed Cairo's commitment to the timeline and repayment obligations related to the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, where the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2 was installed on July 9. The Egyptian president expressed interest in constructing a research reactor in addition to small and floating reactors, as well as cooperation on uranium extraction and rare earth minerals.

On the economic front, Putin noted that bilateral trade volume reached a record level exceeding $10 billion in 2025, and grew by 14% in the first eight months of the current year. He added that total Russian-African trade had grown 1.5 times since 2022 to surpass $27 billion, with Egypt accounting for a significant share. He also noted that more than 1.2 million Russian tourists visited Egypt in the first half of the current year, following approximately 1.5 million visits throughout all of 2025.

Sisi called for support for the Suez Canal Special Economic Zone, stressing Egypt's full readiness to provide all preferences and exemptions to the Russian managing company. The two leaders also discussed the sixteenth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Committee, scheduled to be held in Egypt in 2027, along with cooperation on grain supplies, health, education, and scientific research.

The two leaders addressed regional files including the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and the Ukraine crisis, in a continuation of the exchange of views that took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 11. Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's support for a negotiated solution to the Ukraine crisis, and stressed Cairo's categorical rejection of unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin, emphasizing that water is an existential issue for Egypt. For his part, Putin praised Egypt's pivotal role in the region, affirming Russia's intention to strengthen political coordination with Cairo.