Morsi Moves to Rebuild Egypt's Mideast Leadership Role
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has rebooted Egypt's international image. He has maintained foreign relations with Egypt's friends, while moving away from some and toward others, all without alienating the international community. Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, writes that Morsi could return Egypt to its role as the heart of the Arab World — which would benefit the region.
In the three short months since his was elected president of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi has recalibrated Egypt’s regional and international foreign policy. Morsi is attempting to find a middle way between regional and international axes. But is that approach sustainable, and can he revive Egypt’s role as a leader in Arab and Middle Eastern politics?
While his first foreign trip was to Saudi Arabia, Morsi also visited Iran and sought to include it in regional conflict management. Though he wants to maintain close relations with the West, he first went to China. He has put Egypt at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to address the Syrian crisis, and he indicated to the United States that Egypt’s peace treaty commitments are linked to unfulfilled U.S. promises to bring about justice and self-rule for the Palestinians.
Morsi’s early moves as president should not be surprising. Any new president, whether from the Muslim Brotherhood or other segments of the recent Egyptian revolution, would want to differentiate himself from the policies of the Mubarak regime. Regionally, Mubarak had chosen full alliance with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE in the so-called “Alliance of Moderates” against Iran and its “Axis of Resistance.” He had built warm relations with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and previous Israeli governments while maintaining the siege of Gaza. Internationally, Mubarak had chosen full alliance with the United States, although that didn’t seem to help him much in his final hour of need.
Morsi is also eager to build a high profile in foreign affairs to shore up his new presidency domestically. Progress on Egypt’s internal challenges — especially those related to economic growth and job creation — is going to be very slow. And there will be many political and economic disappointments along the way. Regaining Egyptian prestige regionally and internationally, largely lost under Mubarak, will help Morsi in the difficult months and years ahead.
