Participation by Ambassador Dr. Ezzat Saad in the Evgeniy Primakov Center event on “The Current Status of Egypt-Russia Relations and Prospects for Enhancing them amidst the Changing World Order”

On July 28, 2022, Ambassador Dr. Ezzat Saad participated in the event organized by the Evgeniy Primakov Center on “The Current Status of Egypt-Russia Relations and Prospects for Enhancing them amidst the Changing World Order,” as he extended gratitude to the Center for its kind invitation, expressing his deep appreciation for the great statesman and academic Yevgeny Primakov, who had always defended many foreign policy values and principles, especially the principles of sovereignty, equal sovereignty and democracy in international relations, and the sanctity of the principle of multilateralism. In this context, Ambassador Saad indicated that the next year 2023 marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Russia, and that the June 30, 2013 Revolution in Egypt ushered in a new phase in the two countries’ relations, as both sides had the strong political will to restore warmth to these relations. In the midst of the chaos that strikes the global order and the West’s attempts to attract the largest number of countries to serve its geopolitical goals, Egypt and Russia launched, on July 21, 2022, the construction works for the first unit of Al-Dabaa nuclear plant, a project that is an important element in Egypt’s sustainable development strategy, Vision 2030, as it provides many benefits to Egypt, among which is the diversity of energy sources in Egypt in a reliable and sustainable manner.

On July 24, 2022, Egypt warmly welcomed Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, on a successful visit, during which President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received him, and he held an intensive round of talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, during which various issues of bilateral relations and regional and international situations of common interest were addressed, including developments related to what is happening in Europe and its repercussions. According to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency, Minister Lavrov briefed President El-Sisi on the latest developments in the situation regarding the Ukrainian crisis, and developments in Russian moves in this context at the international level. The Egyptian President confirmed this in his speech before the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in June 2022, and during the visit of Minister Lavrov, affirming the historical and strategic relationship between Egypt and the Russian Federation, and keenness to develop it in all fields, especially since Egypt is Russia’s top economic and trade partner in the Arab region and the African continent. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) database, Russian arms exports to Egypt increased over the past five years (2017-2021) by 73 percent.

Emphasizing that the current international conditions also hold opportunities for strengthening Russia’s relations with the Arab world, whether in the bilateral framework or in the multilateral frameworks, i.e. within the framework of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which was launched following the visit of the Russian President to the Arab League in September 2009, and which has held five sessions till present. In this regard, it should be noted that Egypt’s initiative to form a ministerial liaison committee within the framework of the League of Arab States to settle the Ukrainian crisis was appreciated by Russian President Putin, an initiative that reflects Cairo’s strong desire to enhance international peace and security by upholding the language of dialogue and diplomacy. It should also be noted that the Ukrainian crisis has revealed the extent of Russia’s influence in the African continent, most of which leaders have rejected Western pressures to condemn Russia or join the sanctions regime, and which maintains its communication with Russia, despite the enormous Western pressures against it.

It is also worth noting that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated on June 24, 2022 via videoconference, in a high-level dialogue session for global development within the framework of “BRICS +”, and in December 2021, Egypt joined the membership of the New Development Bank, which was established under “BRICS” in order to increase Interaction between the BRICS countries, including Russia, and other developing countries that are not members of the bloc, through the financial tools provided by the Bank. Egypt is also looking forward to obtaining the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.