3 - 9 May 2001
Issue No.532
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 3 - 9 May 2001 Issue No.532 |
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Russia is important, too
President Mubarak's visit to Russia last week signals the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations, writes Gamal Nkrumah
President Hosni Mubarak was in Russia from 26-28 April for a groundbreaking official visit. He was accompanied by a high-powered delegation which included Minister of Foreign Affairs Amr Moussa, Minister of Information Safwat El-Sherif, Minister of Economy Youssef Boutros Ghali, Minister of International Cooperation Ahmed El-Darsh and Electricity Minister Ali El-Saeedi as well as his chief political adviser, Osama El-Baz.
President Mubarak and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed a wide range of bilateral and international issues. Topping the three-day agenda was the explosive situation in the Middle East, particularly in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's rise to power. The visit took place in an atmosphere of marked cordiality and confirmed once again the strong bilateral relations and the convergence of views on the major issues of regional and international concern. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to their traditional bilateral friendship.
Mubarak praised Russia for its unswerving support over the years for the Arab and Palestinian cause. He also applauded Russia's stance in backing the Middle East peace process, but said that he expected Russia to play a more decisive role in the coming few months.
During a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov announced that Russia unequivocally supported the Egyptian-Jordanian peace initiative aimed at putting an end to the violence in the occupied territories and kickstarting the stalled peace talks between the Palestine and Israel.
Both Mubarak and Moussa expressed the wish that Russia play a more high-profile role in the Middle East peace process. Mubarak said he expected Russia to set up a firm stance on Palestinian security and economic well-being, as well as on the questions of land, refugees and the status of Jerusalem. Mubarak said that he hoped Russia would step in at this critical historical juncture as a more active peace broker.
With Putin securely at the helm, the volatility of Russian domestic politics is no longer a serious cause for concern. Mubarak's address to the Duma, the Russian Parliament, after which he met individually with the leaders of the main political blocs represented in the Duma, was enthusiastically received by Russia's parliamentary members. The Russian Federation can, in conjunction with the European Union and the United States, play a vital role in the Middle East peace process as a co-sponsor of that process. Russia can exert immense political leverage with Israel. One fifth of Israeli citizens are of Russian origin, and Russian is widely spoken in Israel.
To crown the visit, a Joint Declaration of Friendship and Cooperation was concluded in Moscow. The "Moscow Declaration," as it was dubbed, includes 12 provisions aimed at improving cooperation in a wide range of fields.
One particular aspect of bilateral cooperation that received considerable attention in the Egyptian media was the reinvigoration of cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and space technology.
Russia has vested interests in securing a just peace settlement in the Middle East. It will be of no gain to Russia, however, if the forming of a new Middle East leads to the deterioration of Russia's own national security. The Caucacus region of southern Russia adjoins areas of the Middle East. Therefore, one of the top priorities for Russia's foreign policy must be to find ways of improving this strategic environment in the Middle East.
Both Egypt and Russia need to wield the capability of building and rearranging coalitions to protect their own national interests amid the confusing plethora of states, transnational corporations, international financial institutions and non-governmental organisations, all interacting globally under the merciless scrutiny of the international media. Egypt's multi-layered identity is advantageous and makes it an attractive economic, trade and political partner. Egypt plays a leading role in the Arab League and the Organisation of African Unity. Egypt is also active in the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and several other regional and international organisations which with Russia has shown interest in bolstering ties.
In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a dire need to ameliorate Russia's disadvantageous position in a world where the United States played a decisive role as uncontestable superpower. Still, the actors on the post-Cold War international scene are becoming more diverse, and bilateral relations in many instances are also becoming more complex. Economic ties have become of far greater consequence than political relations.
Changes set in train by globalisation are bound to catch up with both Egypt and Russia. Both find themselves in a world where globalisation and democratisation are advancing at a pace with which they may not feel entirely comfortable.
The Communist system which ruled Russia for more than 70 years collapsed causing the vast country to experience economic difficulties and tremendous political and social upheaval. Putin has proved extremely adept at the task of keeping Russia on a steady course. His clampdown on Chechen separatists did not go unnoticed in the Middle East. But no matter how strong grassroot sympathy for the Chechen cause, there is little chance of such sympathisers turning their guns on Russia. It is in this context that the last two clauses of the joint declaration of friendship and cooperation were of particular importance. The two countries pledged to cooperate more closely in combating "international terrorism in all its various forms." There was a pointed reference to the dangerous impact of the narcotics trade and special mention of collaboration in halting drug trafficking.
Provision 12 focused on joint measures to facilitate contacts between the respective subjects in a broad spectrum of spheres including employment, cultural, educational and scientific exchanges, and private businesses.
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