Russia and Egypt to hold joint military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

Russia and Egypt to hold joint military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. (RN). [GoogleTranslate].

Russia and Egypt on Tuesday agreed to strengthen military ties, in particular to carry out in 2015 a joint naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea and the anti-terrorist exercises "on the ground".

To the agreement came to the defense ministers of Russia and Egypt, Army General Sergei Shoigu and Colonel-General Saeed Ahmed Sobhi Sedky, told the representative of the Russian Defense Ministry.

"The parties agreed to continue the practice of participation of Egyptian troops as observers to the exercises conducted in the Russian Federation, as well as to hold this year the teaching of naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea and anti-terrorism doctrine rapid reaction force", - said the representative of the Ministry of Defense.

In addition, Shoigu proposed colleague to send the Egyptian military in Russia to participate in international military games and international military-technical forum "Army 2015". 

The reaction of the Egyptian Minister for the proposal is not reported.

According FSMTC Russia in September 2014, the Russian Federation and Egypt initialed arms contracts worth $ 3.5 billion. According to the general director of "Rostec" Chemezov, these contracts involve the supply of small arms, artillery and air defense systems. It was also reported Egypt  is interested in buying Party MiG-35.

Of the impending deal to buy Egypt various types of weapons from Russia first began after the failure of the US military aid to Cairo in connection with the overthrow of the military-Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in the summer of 2013. 

Iranian Navy Resolved to Deploy in Atlantic Ocean.

Iranian Navy Resolved to Deploy in Atlantic Ocean.(Fars).

The Iranian Navy plans to deploy warships in the Atlantic Ocean, a senior Iranian commander announced on Tuesday.

“The previous flotillas of warships were sent to the Mediterranean Sea and passed the Suez Channel and even sailed through the Pacific Ocean and the China Sea,” Commander of the Navy’s Fourth Naval Zone Admiral Afshin Rezayee told FNA on Tuesday.

“Now we intend to enter the Atlantic Ocean and this will be materialized after dispatch of the next flotillas of warships,” he added.

Noting that each flotilla of warships is sent to the international waters for a three-month-long period, Rezayee said at present Iran’s 29th flotilla of warships is ready to be dispatched for a new mission.

He added that the new flotilla will include two logistic and combat warships as well as one subsurface vessel.

In relevant remarks last month, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that Iran plans to dispatch its next flotilla of warships to the high seas in early 2014 to protect the country’s cargo ships and oil tankers against pirate attacks.

“The Navy’s next flotilla will be dispatched to either the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic on January 21-Feb 20,” he said.

He underlined that the Navy’s flotilla will pass through the Mediterranean Sea to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.

The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.

'Island port for sale' - Cyprus Turns to Russia for €7.5bln Bailout.

'Island port for sale' - Cyprus Turns to Russia for €7.5bln Bailout.(Fars). Cypriot Finance Minister Michailis Sarris arrived in Moscow to hold talks with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov for a 7.5 billion euro bailout. "We're hoping for a good outcome, but we cannot really predict," Sarris told reporters before his meeting with Siluanov, RT reported.

He said Cyprus "is hoping for a good outcome."

Late Tuesday the Cypriot parliament overwhelmingly rejected a proposed tax level on bank deposits as a condition for European bailout aid of 10 billion euro.

Now it is hoping to secure a loan agreement with the Russian Finance Ministry.

Cyprus has asked Russia for a five-year extension loan of 2.5 billion euro ($3.22 bln), as well as an additional 5 billion euro to help curb the crisis in the Mediterranean Island, also a tax haven and home to a significant amount of Russian wealth. Hmmmm......$7.5bln for a port in the Mediterranean sea now that Tartus is going might be a great deal.Read the full story here.

Related: Cyprus Turns to Moscow: Scenarios for a Russian Role in the Bailout

             Island afloat? Cyprus turns to Moscow for cash