Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow on Wednesday, with reports indicating that the two countries are on the verge of signing a nuclear power deal.

According to Russia’s state-run Sputnik News Agency, a government source believes “it is possible” that the two sides could sign a deal. The latest reports follow rumors over the past year that Russia and Egypt were on the verge of such an agreement. In June, Rosatom, Russia’s state atomic energy agency, submitted a business proposal on the construction of a nuclear power plant to El-Sisi.

Also visiting Moscow this week is Jordan’s King Abdullah and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

During the visits, Putin and the Arab leaders are expected to discuss regional issues such as the Syrian civil war, terrorism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Al-Arabiya reported.

While all three countries are closely allied with the United States, Putin has been attempting to forge closer relations with Arab leaders to signal to the West that Russia is not as isolated as the public believes it is, while the Arab leaders are attempting to bolster their nation’s economic and military strength to counter the Iran nuclear deal.