CAIRO, Nov. 17 (Aswat Masriya) - The Egyptian government said on Tuesday that it has "taken into consideration" the results of the Russian investigation into the passenger plane crash in Sinai, which the Kremlin announced earlier today was an act of terrorism by a homemade bomb. 

The Russian announcement came after a meeting of Russia's top defence and security officials where they discussed the "final results" of an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The Russian investigation was being conducted in parallel to the Egypt-led investigation including an international team with Russian representatives.

Egypt's aviation minister Hossam Kamal said Tuesday "so far, there is no criminal evidence," state run news agency MENA reported. He added that the plane crash investigations can "take a long time, reaching a year or longer" before conclusive results are reached.

His statements came at a press conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh, the resort city where the plane embarked on a flight heading to St. Petersburg on Oct. 31, following a meeting of the Egyptian Cabinet. 

The A321 operated by Russian airliner Metrojet disappeared from the radar 23 minutes after take-off and analysts agreed early on in the investigation that it broke up midair as its debris was spread over at least 13 square kilometers. 

Russian President Valdimir Putin led a meeting late on Monday, in which Federal Security Service Chief Alexander Bortnikov said an examination revealed that there were traces of "foreign made explosives," the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We can say with confidence that this was a terrorist act," he said.

Egypt's Cabinet said Egyptian authorities will "rely on the outcomes of these [the Russian] investigations as soon as they are provided," according to an English statement by Cabinet emailed to reporters via the foreign ministry.

Egypt's Cabinet added that the results will be incorporated in a wider investigation "being carried out by the investigation commission composed of all international parties concerned with the incident."

Kamal said the international investigation committee, the authority "entrusted with" announcing the results, has not yet reached "final results" on the cause of the fatal crash, which left all 224 passengers and crew members dead.

If there is criminal evidence, Kamal said, the committee's task will end and the investigation will be referred to criminal investigation authorities.

The Egyptian interior ministry announced today a set of new measures it is taking to tighten airport security, as it takes into consideration "all possible causes" of the crash, "including the possibility that it was targeted by a terrorist attack," according to a  statement emailed to reporters by the foreign ministry.  

Egyptian authorities will be reviewing all screening procedures of luggage, will enhance search procedures and will be carrying out "security sweeps and checks of planes."

Egypt will also enhance "security precautions regarding cargo" and passengers' possessions and cooperate with "experts from countries and representatives of airlines that had increasing concerns" because of the crash.

Earlier in November, the U.K. halted all flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh and Russia suspended all flights to Egypt before banning EgyptAir flights from entering Moscow.

Putin said in statements earlier today, that Russia will invoke the right to self defence, stated in the UN Charter Article 51. The article stipulates the "inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations."

The article stipulates that states must report to the UN Security Council, measures they take to defend themselves, but that the council retains the right to take any measures it deems necessary to maintain or restore international peace.

It is unclear what the exact impact of invoking this article may have on Egypt, if any.

The Russian plane crash has been claimed by the Sinai-based affiliate of the Islamic State Fighters in Iraq and Syria, Sinai Province twice, placing Egyptian airport security under heavy scrutiny.

While initially the group's claims were dismissed, they were eventually taken more seriously as major Western states started backing the theory that the plane could have been downed by a bomb. Both the U.S. and the UK entertained this possibility.

Egypt fears from the potential damage this incident, which attracted plenty of international attention, will have on its tourism sector, a vital source of much-needed hard currency.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail tasked the tourism minister today with contracting a public relations company specialising in international communication to "change the mental image of the tourism sector in Egypt and to limit the sector's losses," MENA reported.