CAIRO, Mar 17 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt signed a deal to import 35 shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over five years with Russian energy company Gazprom on Tuesday, the Petroleum Ministry said in a statement. 

The deal will see Egypt receive seven shipments of LNG annually for five years. 

The state's Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company signed the deal with the giant Russian firm. Gazprom has an 18 percent share of global natural gas reserves. 

The two sides will agree on when Egypt will receive shipments in the second half of this year. 

Signing this deal brings the amount of LNG shipments Egypt has agreed to import to 90 shipments provided by five foreign companies, 49 of which are going to be delivered in 2015 and 2016.

These agreements are part of the state's global tender to import natural gas in order to meet fuel demands of electric power plants, amid a nationwide energy crisis which exacerbates in the summer.