Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pencilled their signatures under the agreement on comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership after their talks in Sochi this week. Relations between Russia and Egypt have a long history, dating back to the 16th century. In the 1950s…
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pencilled their signatures under the agreement on comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership after their talks in Sochi this week.
Background
Relations between Russia and Egypt have a long history, dating back to the 16th century. In the 1950s, Gamal Abdel Nasser’s independent and anti-imperialist policy earned him enthusiastic support from the Communist government of the USSR.
During the Nasser years, many young Egyptians studied in Soviet universities and military schools. Among them was the future president, Hosni Mubarak, who went for training in a military pilot school in Kyrgyzstan. The relationship went sour within years after the death of Nasser, when the new president Anwar Sadat started re-orienting the country towards the West.
Intergovernmental relations improved after the fall of Communism in the USSR, and Russia’s appearance as an independent political actor. In April 2005 the Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Egypt, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited Russia in April 2008. Both countries agreed to work together to help Egypt create a nuclear program which is mostly for civilian purposes. In May 2013, Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi visited Russia.
Analysis
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday commenced a three-day official visit to Russia where he praised relations with Russia in the spheres of nuclear energy and commerce as he arrived in Moscow. El-Sisi and the Russian Prime Minister, Dimitry Medvedev is scheduled to discuss “The state and prospects of developing bilateral trade and economic cooperation with an emphasis on large-scale joint projects in energy, industry, agriculture and other spheres,” the Russian government’s press service said.
Sisi gave a speech in the Russian parliament and met with Medvedev, who said the two countries were to sign a ‘fundamental’ agreement on strategic partnership. “Tomorrow in Sochi you will hold talks with your colleague President Putin and a fundamental agreement on strategic partnership will be signed. This is indeed a new stage in the development of our relations which are already very friendly,” Medvedev said.
The duo plan to sign a range of bilateral documents after the talk, the Kremlin added in the announcement. “I hope that over the coming years construction of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant will be finished and I believe that this will become a new factor of development of cooperation between our two countries,” said Al Sisi. The Egyptian leader is then expected to fly to Sochi for an informal meeting with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
In recent years, Russia has increased its influence and presence in the Middle East. It has also forged stronger relations with countries in the region. There has been a growing demand for Russian weapons in Arab nations. Moscow has seen significantly increased sales in the Middle East. In particular, the Egyptian government has decided to expand defence ties with Russia.
In recent months, the two nations have signed several arms contracts for Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets, Ka-52 helicopters, and other weapons. In what now appears to be a snub to the United States, Egypt has signed a preliminary agreement to allow Russian military jets to use its airspace and bases.
Assessment
Our assessment is that the relationship between the two countries is important both in the economic and military area. We believe that the bilateral trade between Russia and Egypt has expanded by 62% in 2017 reaching $ 6.7 billion and Russian grain export has accounted for about 70% of Egypt’s needs.
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