Cairo – Mubasher: Russia is willing to resume its flights to Egypt 'very soon', Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday during his one-day visit to Egypt.

Russia is ready to resume Russian flights to Egypt through signing a slew of agreements with Egypt, as well as completing technical consultation, Russian state news agency Sputnik reported, citing Putin as saying.

Egypt has stepped up efforts to upgrade security measures at its airports, Putin said, highlighting reports that Russia is ready to return direct flights between Moscow and Cairo.

Number of Russian tourists is expected to rise to two million per year, particularly after the return of charter flights, tourism expert Hossam El Shaer told local channel CBC.

El Shaer added that resuming Russian flights to Sharm el Sheikh and Hurgada is the most important step.

Russian flights to Egypt will be resumed next February, said Sahar Talaat Moustafa, head of tourism committee in the Egyptian Parliament, citing Russian transport minister Maksim Sokolov as saying.

Tourism minister Hisham Zazou previously estimated direct and indirect losses of the downing of a Russian airplane over Sinai in October 2016 at EGP 3.2 billion per month.