In 2004, Egyptian foreign policy continues to pursue its role in monitoring political, economic, regional and international changes and events, emphasizing the presence of the effective and influential Egyptian role on regional and international levels. It is the same role which Egypt has always played in various fora along her history. Egyptian diplomacy has interacted with world developments and changes during this year such as the current crisis in Iraq and the efforts for pushing the Middle East peace process forward. Egyptian foreign policy continued to adhere to its constants represented in the following:

 

1- Fostering peace and stability regionally and internationally.

2- Abiding by a sober foreign policy related with the strategic goals and interests, guided by Egyptian independent decision-making.

3- Entrenching the principle of mutual respect among nations, adhering to the principles of international law, respecting covenants and charts, supporting the role of international organizations, enhancing solidarity among nations and prompting efforts to reform the United Nations.

4- Paying special attention to the economic dimension of international relations.

5- Considering the Arab sphere a primary active move domain for Egypt's foreign policy while continuing to concentrate on the foreign activities related to other vital spheres, namely the Islamic and African, and Egypt's relations with the Nile basin countries.

 

- Efforts towards reaching a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian cause top the concerns of the Egyptian foreign policy. It includes helping the Palestinians realize their legitimate national aspirations represented in establishing a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and ensuring Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands since 1967.

- Egypt helps the Palestinians realize their goals by conducting a Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue to reach a unified Palestinian stand. In the same vein, we are offering technical assistance in training the Palestinian police and security forces, in preparation for an Israeli withdrawal according to the disengagement plan.

- The Egyptian diplomacy is sparing no effort to revive the Syrian-Israeli track so as to ensure full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. It is also making every effort to revive the Lebanese-Israeli track to ensure Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese Shebá farms.

 

- From the outset of the Iraqi crisis, Egypt has been always keen on emphasizing the sovereignty and independence of the brotherly State of Iraq and empowering the Iraqis to achieve self-rule. To this end, Egypt hosted the Iraq neighbouring countries foreign ministers meeting in July 2004 and lately, the meeting of the Iraq neighbouring countries and ministers of the G8 and China in Sharm esh-Sheikh, November 2004. In addition to its participation in the various international and regional forums related to Iraq, the last of which was the international conference over Iraq, held in Brussels, June 2005.

- The Egyptian diplomacy seeks to make the current political process in Iraq a success in accordance with the United Nations Resolution No. 1536 in the run for public elections after drawing up a permanent constitution for electing a permanent Iraqi government

Sudan enjoys the support of the Egyptian foreign policy for realizing peace and stability between the north and the south on one hand, and in Darfour on the other hand in a manner that preserves Sudanese territorial integrity

 

- The Egyptian foreign policy is keen on activating mutual relations with all Arab countries in view of the national and historical inter- Arab ties. These relationships are translated in a plethora of mutual visits and supreme joint committees that help reinforce such  relations in various fields. The purpose is to promote these relations up to the level of political relations, especially in the economic field through pursuing efforts to reach a greater Arab free trade zone as a step towards a common Arab market.

 

In more than one occasion, Egypt has expressed the importance of developing Arab joint action, notably on the Arab League level so as to cope up with the new challenges represented in the attack on the Arabic culture and the need to counter such attack through intensive dialogue and communications with various parties and the international active players. In this context, it is necessary to continue to implement recommendation on the development and modernization process in the Arab world, submitted by Egypt to the Arab Tunis Summit and was adopted thereby. Moreover, Egypt has actively participated in the Arab Algeria Summit, March 2005 with a delegation headed by the President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, stemming from his conviction with the importance and priority of activating the joint Arab action and enhancing its frameworks.

Egyptian communities in the Arab world enjoy special attention because they represent a direct liaison between the Egyptians and citizens of other Arab countries. This can help cement between the Egyptian and other Arab peoples, leading to more positive cooperation in other fields especially in trade and investment.

 

1- The African circle poses as a main pillar for the Egyptian foreign policy. The African Continent is closely associated with Egypt's strategic interests on the political, economic, social or cultural tracks. Egypt's relations with the Nile Basin countries and the extension of the immortal Nile River that inseparably ties together the ten riparian countries give evidence to the depth and importance of the Egyptian-African relations in general and with the Nile Basin countries in particular.

 

2- Egypt deals with the Nile Basin as a one geographical entity, for which integrated development should be provided so as to maintain the interests of all its countries. Such relations must be based on cooperation rather than competition, thus turning the immortal Nile into a development sphere in service of its peoples. Egypt believes that regional cooperation with the Nile Basin countries is the only means to protect the Nile  environment and to achieve sustainable economic development and thus creates a favourable political climate, free of competition and confrontation. This way, the Nile can be an interface of linkage among the basin countries rather than an object of problems and disputes.

 

3- In the framework of Egypt's keenness to reinforce relations with her sisterly African countries, Egypt's relation with the African Union (AU), being the pan-African organization that gathers all states and peoples of the continent, represents a major sphere of action for Egyptian diplomacy. Egyptian foreign policy positively and continuously interacts with the current policies and new advanced strategies of the African Commission, especially for enhancing AU capabilities in certain fields including, peace-keeping operations, promoting economic, social and cultural programmes of the Continent and the regional integration of infrastructure projects among African countries, both within AU framework or the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Egypt seeks to enhance her presence in the AU Commission organs so as to share in steering its policies and to effectively participate in all its activities.

 

4- Although the relation with the AU is the most comprehensive and most significant with the Continent, yet the Egyptian diplomacy also enhanced its relations on the political, economic and regional tracks through her membership of the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) in 1998. Egypt participates in and hosts various events of this important regional gathering. COMESA has played an important role in activating economic relations among its member-countries and liberalizing trade exchanges in the framework of the 11-member Free-Trade Zone. Egypt's exports to the member-countries have jumped to around US Dollar 275 million in 2004, from US Dollar 40 million at the beginning of its membership. On the other hand, Egypt's imports from the COMESA countries rose to around US Dollar 500 million against US Dollar 100 million in basic commodities, earlier imported by Egypt from non-African countries before her accession to the Free-Trade Zone. Economic and trade relations between both sides are still growing in fields of investment, pharmaceuticals, information technology and training.

 

5- As regards bilateral relations, Egypt is always keen on boosting and developing her political, economic and cultural relations with all African countries. To this end, Egypt employs all available diplomatic tools and channels, including activated joint committees between Egypt and the African countries, intensified mutual visits and enhanced dialogue and coordination on the bilateral levels and in international fora. In addition, Egypt contributes to implementing a number of joint projects with the African countries in irrigation, agriculture, fishery, education, health and electric linkage and participates in trilateral cooperation programmes involving donor countries in order to implement development projects and programmes at the hands of Egyptian experts and companies in African countries.

 

6- The Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa performs a prominent role in offering technical and financial support, including funding the employment of Egyptian experts in health, education, agriculture and irrigation, and other disciplines, who contribute to providing the main services for the African peoples. In addition to offering physical support to a number of development projects and activities, Egypt contributes to meeting emergency needs of African countries such as assistance in financing locust combating efforts in some friendly African countries.

 

1- In addition to Egypt's interest in boosting relations with the European Union (EU) institutions in light of their increasing weight in decision-making mechanisms, Egypt also develops her bilateral relations with EU member-states through joint committees, existing political consultations, financial assistance offered by the European countries, following up due debt swap agreements and promoting for the attraction of more European tourism.

 

2- Related to this, the association agreement with EU gave Egypt access to financial support under MEDA (1,2) Funding Programmes. Moreover, Egypt and South Mediterranean countries benefit from the loans and assistance offered by the Euro-Mediterranean Funding Mechanisms for Investment and Association.

 

3- Egypt calls for activating the role of EU as a basic party to the Quartet Committee concerned with implementing the Middle East Road Map.

 

4- The Euro-Mediterranean dimension constitutes one of the main pivots of Egypt's foreign policy. Egypt played a pivotal role in launching Barcelona Process in 1995, in recognition of the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation strategy, as an important essential tool of boosting development efforts in the Mediterranean countries.

 

5- Although the Barcelona Process was politically influenced by the failure to reach a settlement to the Palestinian issue, yet it has realized some measure of success represented mainly in establishing the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Association which Egypt presides its first session (March 2004-March 2005).

 

6- The hosting by Egypt of the “ANALED” Euro-Mediterranean Inter-cultural Dialogue Institution is politically and economically significant, as it underscores Egypt's political weight, credibility and moderation within the framework of the Barcelona Process intercultural dialogue.

 

7- Egypt is always keen on maintaining the informal nature of the Mediterranean Forum so as to enable it to perform its role as a flexible gathering of consultation and coordination among member-countries in an unfiltered atmosphere of transparency and frankness. In this respect, Egypt, in coordination with France, initiated activities of the forum in 1994 when she  hosted its first ministerial meeting in Alexandria. In its latest ministerial meeting in October 2004, it was agreed that Egypt will host an extra-ordinary ministerial meeting in early 2006.

 

8- On the other hand, Egypt is keen on activating her relationship with Eastern and Central Europe through conducting periodical political consultations and various mutual visits. These included visits by the Czech Prime Minister in September 2003, the Slovak President in January 2004, the Polish Foreign Minister in March 2004 and the President of the Hungarian Parliament in October 2003.

 

9- Egypt also enjoys special relations with the Balkans, the Caucasus and Federal Russia. Recently, political consultations were made with Ukraine and Armenia. President Mubarak also paid a visit to Russia in May 2004 where he was granted an honorary doctorate by the Moscow University in appreciation of his regional and international efforts.

 

10- The Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with the New Commonwealth States performs a vital role in cementing relations with the former Soviet Union  countries through organizing training courses and sending Egyptian experts in various fields as missions to such countries.

1- Considerations of the historical friendship between Egypt and the Asian countries developed and strengthened during the 1950s due to Egypt's main contribution in establishing Afro-Asian solidarity, leading to the emergence of the Non-alignment Movement.

 

2- Rallying Asian support for issues affecting Egyptian and Arab national security, i.e. the Middle East issue.

 

3- Enhancing economic and technical cooperation with the Asian Continent, thus contributing to supporting Egyptian economic development, putting into account expertise, capacities and potential that could be exchanged with Asian countries.

 

4- Offering assistance and enhancing the prominent cultural role of al- Azhar as a beacon of moderate Islam and the keenness of many Islamic Asian peoples to benefit from it, both by sending their sons to learn in Cairo or hosting the Azharite delegates in their countries.

 

1- Reinforcing peace and security in the Asian Continent, as an integral part of international peace and security and calling for settling existing problems through dialogue.

 

2- Supporting China's stand on the Taiwan issue, fostering the Egyptian-Chinese relations which witnessed a qualitative leap in 1999 through announcing the strategic partnership and concluding agreement on twinning the Chinese districts and cities and their Egyptian counterparts. There has been also a growing Chinese interest in investing in North and West Suez Gulf Zone and deepening political, economic and cultural relations.

 

3- Enhancing cooperation with economically developed Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries) aiming to attract investments, development supports and benefiting from the available expertise of these states in different fields.

 

4- Stressing the Egyptian stand towards various issues and rallying support for both the Palestinian and Iraq issues. Many of these states have sought to establish fora for dialogue (Japanese- Arab, Korea-Middle East, Asia-Middle East) to conduct consultations, coordination and mutual understanding of the visions of both the Arab and Asian regions.

 

5- Consultation and coordination on issues of international peace and security and economic blocs, namely United Nations reform and the World Trade Organization (WTO) issues, among others.

 

6-Enhancing the cultural inventory of the Asian and Islamic peoples through meeting their requests to obtain scholarships from al-Azhar and sending Azharite delegates to perform their mission in teaching the moderate religion.

1- Egypt maintains strong strategic relations with the United States of America that have been increasingly ramifying and deepening over years by virtue of various subjects of mutual interests regionally and internationally. On top of these subjects are bolstering efforts to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, preserving Iraq's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in addition to other fields of cooperation geared to maintain international peace and security.

 

2- Concomitantly, bilateral cooperation between both countries is increasing and diversifying. On the one hand, Egypt is considered the second largest recipient of American aid that was employed over years in financing infrastructure projects, bolstering the economic and social reform programme and enlisting American technical expertise. Moreover, terms of trade between both countries have enormously increased. Recently, American investments have once again flowed in after a slight regression. Both countries are mulling over a number of alternatives to entrench and consolidate the bases of economic and developmental cooperation.

 

1- The Egyptian-Canadian relations witness noticeable development on the political, economic and educational fields. Political consultations between both countries are conducted on periodical bases. Furthermore, visits among officials of both countries have increased and the first Canadian University abroad was lately inaugurated in Egypt.

 

2- The Canadian International Development Agency has played a significant role in boosting these relations as it contributed over 25 years around Canadian Dollar 1 billion in more than 435 projects in various fields of developmental cooperation in Egypt.

 

The Latin American-Egyptian relations have been noticeably growing and interest by both sides increasing. This is clearly manifested in the increase in official Latin American visits to Egypt. Over the past two years, the Brazilian President and many foreign ministers of pivotal Latin American countries visited Egypt. The same period has also witnessed the signing of the framework agreement on the establishment of a free-trade zone with the Mercsur gathering in Argentine in July 2004. In addition, there have been mutual consultations and co-ordination on nominations. This has reflected in supporting Egyptian stands and just Arab issues.

 

Egypt has also participated last May with a delegation headed by the foreign minister in the meetings of Arab/Latin Summit, thus contributing to enhancing the cooperation relations existing with Latin American countries in various fields. Furthermore, the foreign minister has made a mutual visit after the summit to Argentine and Chili.

 

 

1-  Egypt follows up closely the current debate in the United Nations over enlarging the Security Council. Egypt's stand in this respect is governed by the Declaration by the African Summit in Harari 1997, requesting two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for Africa.

2- In this respect, at the 2000 and 2004 inaugural sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, Egypt declared herself qualified to shoulder the responsibility of her permanent membership in the Council.

3- The Egyptian move draws on Egypt's regional role, her contribution to the United Nations' budget and the peace-keeping operations of the organization as well as her role in the African, Arab and Islamic frameworks. This renders Egypt's accession to the permanent membership of the Council a guarantee of the representation of all these cultures and civilizations in the enlarged council.

 

1- Egypt is keen on acceding to all agreements on combating all forms of terrorism. Egypt has already  acceded to 12 sectoral agreements in this respect, while giving special attention to bilateral co-operation with various countries in this field. Egypt also collaborates with many parties to reach a consensus on new agreements addressing combating terrorism such as the Agreement on Suppressing Nuclear Terrorism and the Comprehensive Agreement on Terrorism.

 

2- In various fora, Egypt stresses on the following considerations:

* Terrorism does not relate to any religion, creed or region; it is an international phenomenon that affects everyone.

* The importance of differentiating between acts of terrorism and legitimate resistance by peoples under occupation and the need to incorporate such differentiation into any definition of terrorism

* The need to fully coordinate among states on exchanging information and experience in effectively and comprehensively countering terrorism.

 

1-  It goes without saying that international developments occurring over the last decade of the 20^th Century had pushed economic and development-related issues to central position in the foreign policy priorities for developing countries; making up what in this framework came to be known as the development diplomacy. Diplomacy has become a pivotal tool for states to realize the national economic goals.

 

2-  Egypt was one of the first countries who responded to and even foreran these developments. Over the past two decades, Egyptian foreign policy has been marked with close association with the tasks of building a modern state, with focus on the economic aspects of the modernization process.

 

3- The Egyptian foreign policy aimed to invest Egypt's international relations

and her strategic importance for serving national development goals, especially in the light of comprehensive economic reform programme adopted since the early 1990s.

 

4- In this context, the economic action moves by the Egyptian diplomacy have been geared to bolster national developmental policies through four main objectives:

 

a- Endeavour to help shape and develop the organized framework of international economic order, thus maximizing benefit from the gains provided by globalization, through coordination with friendly developing and developed countries alike.

b- Enhance and entrench economic cooperation with Arab, African and Mediterranean countries as well as with developing countries in general so as to create a favourable regional economic climate for fulfilling Egyptian development goals (through opening markets for Egyptian exports, or through providing chances to increase foreign investments inflows to Egypt)

c- Invest Egypt's ramified international relations to reinforce various objectives of the economic reform programme such as promoting the Egyptian tourism, investing in Egypt, and transferring the advanced technology, etc.

d-  Buttress and develop economic aspects of our bilateral relations with world.