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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 May 1999 Issue No. 430 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 May 1999 Issue No. 430
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Supplement Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A sure pilot in rough waters
By Ibrahim Nafie
A leader's success can be measured in terms of his ability to gain his people's confidence, and the respect of citizens in neighbouring countries, through the fundamental achievements that take his country from one situation to another, so that this progress, in itself, constitutes a deed historians will find worthy of mention.
Only when we compare Egypt's situation before Mubarak's accession to power with the point at which we have arrived can we fully comprehend the greatness of his achievement. Egypt's relations with its Arab neighbours, and the regional role it has come to play, cannot fail to astonish those who remember the years that preceded the president's successful efforts. Egypt is a core country on many levels, and its importance in terms of history, geography, culture and civilisation continues to grow in his able hands.
From the first day of his presidency, Mubarak realised the importance of reshaping the map of Egypt's Arab and regional relations, thus enabling it to preserve its place at the heart of the region in a way that honoured its past while assuring its future.
If we were to paint a realistic portrait of President Mubarak as he endeavoured to bring about this different state of affairs, we would have to picture him as a farmer, waiting with patience and perseverance to reap the crop he has sown; as an engineer, examining an expertly designed blueprint and envisioning its realisation on solid foundations; and as a soldier moving toward his target with precision and control. Under all these guises, however, he has been consistently silent, preferring to let events speak for themselves.
To cite only one example, the president, along with King Abdullah II of Jordan, met in mid-March to inaugurate the electricity super-grid that now links the two countries. The celebration was rife with symbols of Egypt crafting cooperation with its Arab neighbours, but in the fashion Mubarak prefers, that is to say in practical and realistic terms. This is why no overblown slogans were raised at the simple ceremonies held in Taba and Aqaba: the reality of the achievement was far more powerful than any such fanfare could have hoped to be. This project, after all, started out as little more than a vision in the mid-'80s, and began to materialise in 1989; it cost 229 million dollars, overcame innumerable geographical and time-related obstacles, and now provides the two countries with the equivalent of three times the energy generated by the High Dam.
Yet the Egyptian-Jordanian project was only one example of the initiatives Egypt continues to take in the region. In turning eastward, it continues to invest in the three "secrets of life": water, energy, and human resources. The mega-project in the Canal Zone will bring Sinai into the national fold and, beyond, will link Egypt more firmly to the Arab east. To the west, construction projects are underway, and railway lines are being laid as more electricity grids are set up in a vast communications and transport network, linking Egypt to Libya and, thence, to Africa. To the south, where our national borders blend with the rest of the African continent, more activity is afoot, sending out tendrils of growth and renewal through Sudan and beyond. This constitutes the concrete materialisation of Mubarak's vision for Egypt's regional role, and his belief that the nation's energy should not be channelled into dead ends, nor confined to the national arena.
President Mubarak, therefore, has always insisted on the importance of creating a complete framework for the project of a national renaissance, but he has never neglected the regional vision that can and must nourish this project. In this respect, the president's project is based on the following elements.
- Solid planning in the political arena: this has entailed the pursuit of warm relations with our Arab neighbours, especially after the crises these relations have undergone in past years. Hence Mubarak's constant efforts in support of an Arab order oriented toward economic growth and cooperation, and his persistence in ensuring that the institution of the Arab summit was kept alive through regular annual meetings.
When these efforts were dealt a crushing blow by the great tragedy resulting from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Mubarak tried to preserve the Arab body politic from total fragmentation. Under his guidance, Egypt was in the vanguard of the force sent to repel the invaders and liberate Kuwait. Despite the occasional criticism to which the Damascus Declaration countries were subjected, they have remained an effective force to this day, able to deal with the complex realities prevailing in the region and representative of the Arabs' potential for cooperation.
Often, too, the group's true potential shines through, as was the case at the now-famous Alexandria meeting between Mubarak, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and Syria's President Assad. In another sphere, Egyptian efforts proved equally effective in damping sparks of conflict between Syria and Turkey. These efforts had far-ranging consequences, not only in terms of political dividends, but also in terms of bilateral relations with Turkey.
- A focus on how to benefit the people: in this context, Mubarak has always avoided sloganeering that cannot be translated into action. Regional complementarity, in his vision, cannot be fulfilled without the proper infrastructure. This explains his interest in electricity grids and railway lines, but also in communications projects and media cooperation on a regional level.
In a few years, we will see these networks reach out in all directions; regional electricity grids will link up with their counterparts in the Mashreq and the Maghreb, and thence with Europe. Other projects are being studied which will allow for the transport of natural gas from Egypt to Turkey, and perhaps to other countries of the region.
- The strengthening of ties with countries of the region: Egypt's political efforts are geared toward the restoration of normal relations with Iran, and respond readily to every well-intentioned initiative in that respect. Relations with Ethiopia and the countries of the Nile Basin are also given special consideration.
- The transformation of regional cooperation councils into strategic planning and executive follow-up units, especially in the field of development and regional security: Collective security, consultation and transparency are cornerstones of Egyptian policy in this area, given the fact that security for all must be based on a series of historic reconciliations.
In this respect, Egypt feels that Israeli society must first resolve its own internal crisis and exorcise the demons of its past. Only in this way will it break the vicious circle that leads it to fear ever greater hordes of imaginary enemies, and thus to acquire ever greater numbers of sophisticated and dangerous weapons. The Egyptian leadership does not share the fear, widespread in certain Arab circles and even among many Egyptian intellectuals, that peace will automatically lead to Israeli hegemony.
Among the most important measures we can take to ensure collective security is the full implementation of the treaties for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. For the same reason, it is important to bring Iran into the regional fold and dispel any uncertainty as to its intentions.
- A defence policy based upon a multifaceted vision: this policy has been crafted with an eye to guaranteeing Egypt's territorial integrity and the protection of its national interests in the widest sense. The country has also played an active role in security arrangements at the Arab, Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean levels.
For all these reasons, it is clear that President Mubarak has succeeded in terms of the criteria mentioned earlier. If it is at all possible for us to make such a prediction, then it is safe to say that historians will pause at length before his achievements, and will no doubt record this period as one of profound and positive change, for Egypt, the region and the world.
