Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced that former Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has died at the age of 67. It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the office of al-Sisi.

“I deeply mourn for this virtuous person from the best people of Egypt, the person who embodied the conscience of this nation - ex-premier Sherif Ismail. I express my condolences to the Egyptian people in connection with the loss of this honest man,” the President said.

It is noted that Ismail's funeral is being held in Cairo on Sunday. Egyptian media report that the former prime minister has been very ill lately.

Sheriff Ismail served as prime minister from 2015 to 2018. Prior to that, for three years he served as the Minister of Oil of Egypt. In recent years, Ismail has assisted the President of Egypt in matters of national projects.

Earlier it was reported that the head of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shukri, met with the secretary of the organization, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow. The topic of the meeting was topical issues of Russian-Egyptian bilateral cooperation.