Cairo – President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi of Egypt have called for greater international efforts against terrorism.
The two leaders made the call on Wednesday in a telephone conversation, a day after Moscow confirmed that a Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt was as a result of terrorist bomb attack.
They urged global powers to take firm and deterrent steps against forces of militancy and terrorism.
Egypt, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, is yet to acknowledge whether a bomb brought down the airliner last month.
Earlier in November, Moscow suspended commercial flights to Egypt, allowing only return flights without luggage in order to get Russian citizens back home.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
An Islamic State affiliate in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula claimed responsibility for downing the airliner, saying it was retribution for Russia’s military campaign against the group in Syria.
The airliner was heading from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to Russia’s second largest city, St Petersburg, when it exploded in mid-air about 20 minutes after take-off on Oct. 31.
The crash, which killed all 224 aboard the airliner, was the deadliest civil aviation disaster in Russian history. (dpa/NAN)