Putin's visit is a topic of conversation from noisy cafes to popular talk shows. Russian-Egyptian relations are being analyzed in local newspapers, with headlines such as "Welcome, President Putin, to Egypt" and "Putin — the Hero of Our Time" adorning local newsstands.
#Putin arrives in #Egypt for visit: airport officials. Ahhh, body language. pic.twitter.com/tPWrazMayK
— Kristina Dei (@2kdei) February 9, 2015
#Egypt. RT @seldeeb More Putin welcome pic.twitter.com/JNjbDVgjzR
— Sophia Jones (@Sophia_MJones) February 9, 2015
"Russia is currently 'in the air,' especially ahead of President Putin's visit. This visit has been long expected, ever since [former Egyptian President Mohamed] Morsi was deposed," Middle Eastern scholar Vladimir Belyakov told RIA Novosti.
According to Belyakov, Putin has become a hero and a symbol of anti-US hegemony and anti-Islamic extremism among Egyptians, especially in light of his support for the Egyptian people's will following the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood-linked Morsi in 2013.
As one senior Russian diplomat told RIA Novosti earlier on Monday, Putin's visit comes at the urging of his Egyptian counterpart that he visit as soon as possible.
"We are troubled by the collapse of many Arabic countries. We would like to turn the tide. On Syria, we are moving in unison, as witnessed by the Syrian opposition meeting in Cairo, which later continued in Moscow," the top Russian diplomat said.
Egypt views Russia as a reliable partner against a backdrop of cooling relations with the United States after Morsi's overthrow. Compounded by anti-Russia sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies, Moscow's cooperation with Cairo shows signs of promise.
Earlier in the day, Putin said that the Russian-Egyptian relations in fields including trade, nuclear energy, space, tourism and agriculture were developing at a rapid pace.
