Putin and Egypt's president Sissi: A new international bromance?

CAIRO -- Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi inked a deal Tuesday for Russia to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant.

That's big news for Cairo, but what really made this trip stand out was how famously the two leaders hit it off.

One local paper termed Putin "the hero of our time" while another called him "Egypt's V.I.P." And they were right about that.

Putin received a royal welcome, complete with honor guard and a chorus of children. Egypt quite literally rolled out the red carpet.

It's been two days of lavish ceremony in Putin's honor. Monday night, Sissi picked Putin up from the airport, then took him to a night at the opera followed by a private dinner from the panoramic Cairo Tower.

It isn't unrequited love. Putin showed Sissi how much he cared by giving new Egypt's leader a shiny new Russian Kalashnikov rifle.

Though both Russia and Egypt may have a complicated relationship with the West, for these two strongmen, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.