It is known that Egypt joined the BRICS coalition at the beginning of the year, further strengthening its ties with the other countries that make up the coalition and consequently with Russia.
The construction of a Russian nuclear plant in Egypt
Recently as noted by Bulgarian International Media, "Through a virtual conference, Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi launched the construction of the fourth power plant of Egypt's main nuclear power plant.
This mission is not only an economic venture for Moscow, but also a strategic move to strengthen relations with Egypt, an important ally of Washington in the Middle East.
In the city of the same name, located 300 kilometres from Cairo, Rosatom, a Russian company, is building the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, Egypt's first nuclear power plant.
Construction of the first and second power units started in 2022, followed by the third in 2023.
By 2028, Egypt is expected to stand out as the only country in the region with the "3+" generation of Russian VVER-1200 reactor units. The total packaged electrical capacity of the nuclear power plant will be just under 4.8 GW.
The role of Rosatom
With a budget of $30 billion, this project is the largest project Rosatom has ever undertaken.
Alongside other foreign efforts by the state-owned company, Moscow is generously providing a $25 billion export construction loan to Egypt.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests that the nuclear power plant project will play a critical role in strengthening the Egyptian economy and stabilizing its energy foundation.
The head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev notes that construction contracts have exceeded the $1.2 billion mark and more than 90 companies have a stake in the development of the nuclear power plant.
This project has an international flavor thanks to the South Korean company KHNP, which will supply the necessary equipment for the nuclear power plant. The supplies are estimated to cost over $2.5 billion. The South Korean spokesman assures that, despite the delays in the negotiations, there is no looming threat of sanctions.
Anton Smirnov, the scientific editor of the journal Nuclear Energy and Technologies explains, "The African continent is steadily gravitating towards nuclear power thanks to Rosatom."
Construction activity in Egypt is one of the most extensive nuclear power projects in the world as four units are being built simultaneously.
Considering that Russia is simultaneously developing nuclear power plants at home and carrying out huge projects abroad, in countries such as Egypt, China and Turkey, it is obvious that the state-owned company has formulated a reliable formula for the successful construction of nuclear power plants.
In a friendly conversation with the President of Egypt, Putin recalled the central role of Soviet experts in the construction of the Aswan Dam along the Nile River.
The Egyptian head of state responded by warmly referring to Putin as "brother", which can be interpreted as a subtle nod to Putin's re-election efforts.
Despite the tensions in Ukraine, Moscow's achievement of launching the nuclear power plant in Egypt confirms its commendable influence in the region. Fatah al-Sisi, Egypt's authoritarian leader who has maintained neutrality in the Ukraine crisis, shares a cordial relationship with Putin.
As relations with rival countries continue to deteriorate, Moscow and Cairo have seen a sharp increase in their trade, estimated at $7 billion. As Putin reveals, the value has increased by 20% in the first ten months of 2023.
Egypt obtains arms from the USA
In global trade, the US ranks as Cairo's third largest trading partner, after the United Arab Emirates and China, according to data from the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.
By 2022, the interstate trade amounts to $9.4 billion.
In terms of Cairo's diplomatic relations, it is generally in line with Washington's stance, which is a major donor in terms of military aid.
Most recently, in September 2023, Egypt received $1.3 billion in aid from the US, despite some senators voicing their objections due to Cairo's alleged human rights violations in the region.
The cancellation of Egypt's order for 20 Russian Su-35 fighters
It is interesting to note that Cairo also maintains a critical link with Moscow in the field of arms exports.
For example, in 2019, the two parties agreed to supply Egypt with 20 Su-35 aircraft from Moscow. However, under the influence of the United States, Cairo refused this agreement.
This led to the purchase of these Russian aircraft from Iran.
Egypt's positive role in the war in the Gaza Strip
In recent times, Egypt's political influence has seen a notable rise due to its key role in the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip, initiated by Israel, which shares a border with Egypt. Cairo has been an active participant in the peace talks, supporting a swift ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas. However, Israel's goal remains to eliminate Hamas from Gaza and take control of the crossing point between the Strip and Egypt.
Egypt responded with a stern warning that such actions could negatively affect its bilateral relations.
The position of Greece
With regard to our relations with Egypt, which has become a full member of BRICS, with which we have allied-friendly relations, we should not under any circumstances act on any other criterion than our national interest, which is in favour of further deepening our already very good relations.
In the future, our aim should be to sign a delimitation of our EEZ further east of the 28th meridian, including Kastelorizo, which has not been done so far, since we have so far made a partial delimitation of our EEZ with the country of the Pharaohs, further west of the 28th meridian.
