Egyptian MP Praises Effectiveness of Drills With Russia Amid War on Terror

As the next joint Russia-Egypt drills are approaching, Sputnik spoke with an Egyptian lawmaker on the issue, who praised the drills' effectiveness amid the country's war on terror.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Defenders of Friendship-2017 joint Russian-Egyptian counterterrorism exercises will strengthen the countries' bilateral relations, while the armed forces of the two states will gain additional experience, Egyptian lawmaker Samir Aliwa told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Everyone knows the might of the Russian army, as well as the strength and determination of its soldiers. Joint troops exercises can provide a great experience for each country, which is useful to their future, especially in light of the ongoing war on terror," Aliwa said.

Aliwa also recalled last year's joint exercises held in Egypt, saying that it was decided to continue running them in subsequent years.

"It was the effect of last year's joint exercises. The Egyptian military could get acquainted with new types of equipment and strategy, sharing their experience in parallel. The Russian military has landed an aircraft for the first time in Africa during drills in Egypt, and paratroopers worked out various tasks for landing in a desert area," Aliwa added.

The Defenders of Friendship-2017 drills will be held in Russia's Krasnodar Territory in September with the participation of both Russian and Egyptian paratroopers, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Besides holding joint drills, Russia and Egypt also cooperate in the military-technical area with Moscow supplying Cairo with advanced military equipment.