Russia's Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu will pay an official visit to Egypt during the coming week, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.

The visit comes amid reports of an arms deal between Egypt and Russia, the agency said.

Shoygu will head a delegation that groups a number of Russian officials including the first deputy director of the Federal Service on Military-Technical Cooperation, Andrei Boitsov, and officials from state-arms exporter Rosoboronexport, RIA Novosti reported.

The agency did not provide more details about the visit.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, had earlier said that Moscow is keen on having Egypt play a vital role in the Arab world and on creating stability in Egypt and carrying on with the political process so that so that Egypt can determine its fate without foreign interference.