H. E. Mahmoud EZZAT
Geopolitics inevitably shaped Egypt’s foreign policy.
Egypt occupies a strategic position as a land bridge between two continents and a link between two principal waterways; The Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.
It must be therefore strong enough to dominate its environment or risk becoming the victim of outside powers.
Its security is also linked to control of the Nile River on whose waters its survival depends.It has, therefore, had historical ties with Sudan and has sought satisfactory relations with the new state on Sudan’s southern borders, Uganda, Zaire and rather all countries which lie on Nile. The Land bridge to Asia, route of potential conquerors, had also to be secured and Egypt rulers traditionally tried to project their power into Syria and Arabia, often in contest with other powers in Anstolia (Present Turkey) or the Euphrates rivers valley (Present day Iraq).
In contemporary times, Israel, backed by a super power, located on Egypt’s borders and blocking its access to the East, was perceived as the greatest threat to Egyptian National Security.
Egypt was also politically strategic, as late leader President Gamal Abdel Nasser saw it, with considerable justice; Egypt was potentially at the center of four circles:
The African, the Arab, Islamic in addition to non-alignment movement.
Egypt has viewed itself as playing a major role in Africa and beyond that was long a leading mover in the wider third world and a major advocate of neutralism and non-alignment.
The geopolitical importance made the country the object of interest to the great powers and when Egypt is strong enough, as under Nasser, allowed it to play the great powers against each other and win political support and economic and military aid from all sides. Otherwise Egypt of Mubarak was able to parlay its strategic importance in the Arab-Israeli conflict and as bulwark against Islamic political activities into political support and economic aid from the west and Arab world.
A second constant that shaped Egypt’s Foreign Policy was its Arab Islamic character especially since Arabs entered Egypt in the 7th Century.
To be sure, Egypt had a long pre-Islamic heritage that gave it a distinct identity and in periods such as the British occupation it developed apart from the Arab world.
Egypt’s national identity was never merged in an undifferentiated Arabian.
Egyptians were shaped by their own distinct geography, history, dialect and customs.
But the content of the Egyptian identity was indisputably religious either Islamic or Christian Coptic.
Egypt was inextricably a part of the Arab world. It was the largest Arabic speaking country and the intellectual and political center to which the whole Arab world locked in modern time; which some call it our soft power.
It was also center of Islamic civilization, its Al-Azhar University one of the Islam’s major religious institutions and its popular culture profoundly Islamic.
Although a portion of the most westernized upper class at times saw Egypt as Mediterranean or Pharaonic while for the overwhelming majority, Egypt’s identity was Arab Islamic. Indeed Egypt saw itself as the leader of the Arab World, entitled to pre-eminence in proportion to the heavy burdens it bore in defense of the Arab cause.
This Arab-Islamic identity was a great asset for Egyptian leaders. To extent that Egyptian leadership was acknowledged in the Arab world, this prestige bolstered the stature of the ruler at home, entitled Egypt to a portion of Arab oil wealth and gave credence to Egypt’s ability to define a common Arab policy, hence increasing the country’s strategic weight in the world affairs.
This leadership position also meant that Egypt was a natural part of the Inter-Arab power balance, typically in the rivalries that split the Arab world and a part of the solidarity that united it.
In the 1950s, modernising nationalist Egypt’s rivals were traditional pro-western Iraq and Saudi Arabia and its Main Ally was Syria.
In the 1970s an alliance of Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia led the Arab World in its search for peace with honour, when Late President Mohamed Anwar Sadat made his brave historical visit to Jerosalem, Syria became Egypt’s main rival.
This Country’s Arab-Islamic identity also put certain constraints on foreign policy decision to violate it risked the legitimacy of the whole regime.
Finally Egypt’s Foreign policy was pulled in the contrary by ideals of anti-imperialists non-alignment and the webs of dependency in which the country was increasingly enmeshed.
Egypt’s long history of subordination to foreign rulers, especially European imperialism produced a powerful national pride among Egyptians, an intense anti-imperialism and quest for dignity, particularly under Naseer who has led 23rd of July, 1952 revolution with his colleagues in particular General Mohamed Naquib, who was the first President of Egypt till 1954.
Egypt’s National Ideal was to be independent of both East and West, to be a strong prosperous state, to stand up to Israel and to lead the Arab World. Yet Egypt couldn’t do without large amounts of economic aid and military assistance from the advanced economies and the super powers.
The problem of dependency could be minimized by diversifying aid sources and Nasser initially pursued a policy of balance between East and west which won aid from both sides and minimized dependency on any power.
United States support for Israel before, during and after the June 1967 made Egypt ever more dependent on the Ex-Soviet Union, for the Military aid and protection but balanced by choosing to rely on America diplomacy after the great victory of the Egyptian army in 6th October 1973 war against Israel which enabled Egypt to restore Egypt’s land “Sinai” from Israel.
Egypt and Bangladesh
Overview: Egyptian supported Bangladesh in its fight for independence (1971).
The two countries further coordinate their political stances within the international organisation in which they are both members; such as the
OlC, the D8, NAM and the Asian-Middle East Dialogue (AMED).
Political relations: A MoU was signed in October 2006 for the establishment of an Egypt-proposed mechanism for political consultations, which was finalized in January 2011, and whose first round is expected to open soon in Cairo.
An agreement was signed in 1990 whereby a joint Egyptian Bangladeshi committee was set up.
Economic relations: According to the figures released by the Central Bank of Bangladesh, the volume of trade exchange with Egypt was put at $55million in (2008/9); i.e. up 80% compared to the 2007/8 figures with an increase of $30.6 million, which tips the balance of trade in Egypt’s favour by $29.7 million.
Egyptian exports to Bangladesh in 2008/9 were estimated at $42.4 million; which is up 135% compared to the 2007/8 figures.
(Leature delivered by H. E. Mahmoud EZZAT, Ambassador of Egypt to Bangladesh, at an Eid Reunion organized by the Nawab Salimullah Academy at the National Press Club on 16th November2014)
