CAIRO, April 26 (RIA Novosti's Igor Kuznetsov) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Egypt on visit. His plane landed in the Cairo airport, from where Mr. Putin went to the Abdin palatial complex, President Hosni Mubarak's residence. With an area of 12 hectares, it was built in 1863, and was official government residence, 1872 into 1953. President Mubarak ordered the place thoroughly repaired, late in the 1980s. Now, it hosts a part of presidential offices, and an impressive arms museum. Prominent among the exhibits are samples of Soviet arms, which Joseph Stalin made a gift of to King Farouk I in 1945.
One of the palatial halls sees an official reception tonight in honor of President Putin and the accompanying delegation.
Tomorrow, Mr. Putin is meeting President Mubarak at the negotiation table. He will also hold conference with Amer Moussa, League of Arab States Secretary General, and Ahmed Fathi Sourour, People's Assembly Speaker and President of the Egypt-Russia Friendship Society.
President Putin will see the great pyramids at Gizeh, not far from Cairo-the only surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World.
A Russian president has never visited Egypt within the preceding forty years.
