Cairo hopes that Russian tourists will soon return to the country, Egyptian diplomat Amre Moussa told Sputnik on Saturday.

Russia suspended all passenger flights to and from Egypt to ensure the safety of Russian passengers after Russia's A321 plane was brought down by a terrorist attack over the Sinai Peninsula.

"We really hope that Russian tourism will come back sooner, rather than later. In fact the relations between the two countries are mounting and we have more cooperation in trade, investment and tourism," Moussa, Egypt's former foreign minister, said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

Moussa, who also served as former Arab League Secretary-General, added that both Russia and Egypt were powerful countries and played significant roles in the Middle East.

On October 31, the Russia-operated Airbus A321 crashed en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. All 224 people on board the plane were killed. The crash has become the largest civil aviation disaster in Russian history. The Islamic State terrorist group, which is outlawed in Russia, claimed responsibility for the crash.

According to Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou, the absence of tourists from Russia as well as from the United Kingdom, which has also suspended flights to Egypt after the attack, is costing the country's tourism industry some $300 million a month.