CAIRO, Feb 17 (Aswat Masriya) - Russia approved "the draft cooperation protocol between the governments of the Russian Federation and Egypt to maintain civil aviation safety and security", a statement by the Russian government on Friday.

"Under the protocol, Russian representatives are to monitor compliance with the aviation safety and security measures by Egyptian experts at international airports in Egypt," the statement read. It also said that the resumption of flights is dependent on Egypt's compliance with noted items on aviation safety and security measures.

Moscow suspended all flights to Egypt in the wake of the crash that took place in the Sinai peninsula in October 2015, killing all 224 on board. The plane was heading from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg in Russia.

Since the plane crash, Russia among other western countries have sent delegations to inspect security measures in Egyptian airports, which Egyptian officials continued to describe as in line with "international standards.

"Russia maintains that the crash was due to a "terrorist attack," while Egypt says that evidence is still lacking as to the cause of the crash.

Egypt’s most active militant group in North Sinai known as Sinai Province, affiliated with Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for downing the plane twice.