Egypt's Mubarak meets with Putin, Medvedev in Russia visit

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt met with President Vladimir Putin and his elected successor Tuesday for talks expected to focus on Mideast peace efforts and other international issues, as well as bilateral ties. Mubarak's visit to Moscow also was expected to produce an agreement on nuclear energy cooperation between Russia and Egypt, which is seeking a foreign partner to help build its first nuclear power plant. Russia is building reactors in several countries and seeking further to expand its nuclear energy industry abroad. The Russian business daily Kommersant reported that Russia would like to sell Egypt weapons, but will have a hard time denting the U.S. dominance of that market. Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's hand-picked successor, has met with a handful of visiting heads of state ahead of his May 7 inauguration, apparently trying to assure world leaders of continuity in relations with Russia. Putin has said he will serve as Medvedev's prime minister. "I am glad to have the chance to meet you," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Medvedev as telling Mubarak as they sat down for a meeting in the Kremlin. "I hope the good, trusting relations that link you and President Putin will be preserved between us." Mubarak met separately with Putin at his residence outside Moscow.