Sissi, Putin discuss ME

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-fattah al Sissi in Sochi on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on conflicts in the Arab world and the resumption of direct flights between Russia and Egyptian resort cities.

Russia allowed the resumption of direct flights with Cairo this year after a more than two-year ban that followed the crash of a Russian airliner shortly after take-off from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el Sheikh.

A group affiliated with the extremist organisation IS claimed responsibility for bombing the plane. Russian tourism was a major source of revenue for the Egyptian economy before the flight ban.

Egypt is now seeking for Russia to allow a resumption of flights with Sharm el Sheikh and another Egyptian resort city, Hurghada. Putin and Sissi were also expected to discuss ongoing conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen, according to comments from a Kremlin adviser.