MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. The Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) approved at a meeting on Friday the law on ratifying the treaty on comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and Egypt, which contains specific tasks, goals and mechanisms regarding cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on October 17, 2018, following Egyptian president’s visit to Russia. It is aimed at strengthening friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Under the agreement, the parties agreed to exchange the presidents’ visits on a regular basis and hold regular ministerial meetings in between, including "two plus two" consultations between the Russian and Egyptian foreign and defense ministers. Also, an agreement was reached on setting up an interdepartmental working group on combating international terrorism co-chaired by the two countries’ deputy foreign ministers.

The document enshrines both countries’ willingness to maintain cooperation between its economy ministries and entrepreneurs, including holding annual meetings of the joint Russian-Egyptian commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation and the Russian-Egyptian Business Council in each of the two countries alternately.

Other areas of cooperation under the treaty include the military and military-technical spheres, science and education, tourism, humanitarian and cultural ties, exchanges between non-governmental, youth and sports organizations.

The agreement will be valid for ten years. It will be automatically extended for subsequent five-year periods, if neither party notifies in writing through diplomatic channels of its intention to terminate it no later than six months before the expiration of the next period.

Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee, described it as the most specific framework agreement on strategic partnership, which "contains a package of specific mechanisms, tasks and goals for the future." "I am impressed with the style of the document. I would definitely want to support it and, perhaps, even to view it as a kind of a pattern, so that we could make our contractual relations as pragmatic and specific as possible," the senator said.