Aviation Minister in Moscow to sign security agreement ahead of restoration of direct flights to Egypt: Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy is reportedly heading a delegation to Moscow today to sign an aviation security protocol with his Russian counterpart, Maksim Sokolov, that should pave the way for the restoration of direct flights to Cairo from Moscow, according to Ahram Gate. Flights between the two capitals should resume by February, after a more than two-year suspension following the downing of a Metrojet flight after it took off from Sharm El Sheikh. Under the agreement, Russian security personnel will be allowed to oversee security procedures carried out on all Moscow-bound flights as well as Russian flights bound for Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, sources tell the newspaper, adding that negotiations are still ongoing to finalize terms. Trips to the Red Sea cities should resume once flights to Cairo are restored. Russian President Vladimir Putin had said this week that Russia was ready to put the airplanes back in the skies.

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