1st LD-Writethru: Russia ready to resume direct flights between Moscow and Cairo: Putin

CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that his country is ready to resume direct flights between Cairo and Moscow after a two-year halt.

"After the airplane crash over Sinai, direct flights between the two countries stopped. During this period, Egypt exerted great efforts to guarantee high level of security at its airports," Putin said during a press conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

In Oct. 2015, a Russian airplane crashed over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh airport. All 224 passengers and crew on board were killed.

Moscow said that the airliner crashed due to a terrorist bomb attack, announcing a halt of direct flights between the two countries.

Putin said he discussed with Sisi the sequence of steps to resume direct flights, adding the Russian side is ready to resume flights.

"The resumption of direct flights requires the singing of a government protocol, we seek this to happen soon," Putin added.

Putin and Sisi also discussed a number of mutual, regional and international issues.

They also witnessed the signing of an agreement to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant. Enditem