President Putin’s visit to Cairo on February 9？10, 2015 drew the attention of numerous observers and pundits, even as events in Ukraine dominated media coverage.

       An afterword to President Putin’s visit to Egypt

       Much time and effort went into preparing this visit, and its importance goes far beyond reviving and strengthening our bilateral relations. Both Russia and Egypt find themselves in a difficult situation, and it is important for Russia to show that it is regarded as a strong and reliable partner in different parts of the world. Moscow enjoys a tradition of relations with the Arab nations of the Middle East, and Egypt plays a special role in this respect.

       President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi faces numerous challenges, both internal and external. He has to deal with protests by disgruntled citizens, threats posed by terrorists and smugglers on the Sinai Peninsula, socioeconomic problems exacerbated by the Arab Spring, and the cooling of relations with the US and a number of regional powers. There’s a reason for the revival of Nasserism in Egypt – Egyptians are nostalgic for the man who made Egypt a recognized leader of the Arab world, a major force of the nonaligned movement and a symbol of independence and success. For the Egyptian leadership, the Russian president's visit was a sign of Egypt's greater status and independence in the regional and international arena, and also demonstrated Egypt’s willingness to diversify its foreign relations.

       But it would be wrong to consider improved relations between the two countries only as a token achievement or a solution to the problems facing each country.

       The bilateral relationship has real value for Russia and Egypt. The sides announced the construction of nuclear power plants – essentially a new nuclear power industry, which will be vital to the success of Egypt’s economy. The parties also reached agreements on Russian exports of wheat and Egyptian exports of fruits. Clearly, military cooperation will continue. Politically, the sides confirmed the proximity of their positions on a number of important regional problems, such as the Syrian crisis, combating ISIS and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This, of course, does not mean that the two countries share identical interests and approaches.

       In general, in order for Russian-Egyptian cooperation to become an enduring factor in the foreign policies of our two states, major efforts and resources are required. But there is no doubt that Russia and Egypt need such a relationship in order to maintain security in the broadest sense of the word – and there is nothing opportunistic about that.

       Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.