French President Emmanuel Macron is going to spend three days in Cairo from Sunday. He will once again speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. It will be marking their twelfth meeting in either Cairo or Paris since Macron assumed office in 2017. However, this visit may prove to be especially significant.
France is also seeking a breakthrough in the Middle East conflict, owing in part to its historical role as a connector to the Arab nations world. Activists, however, urge Macron to emphasize Egypt’s poor history regarding human rights.
The trip officially emphasizes economic cooperation, yet the primary attention is on Gaza. Recently, Israel violated a ceasefire agreement it had made with Hamas.
What role does France play in the Arab world?
France has long played a leading role in its relations with Egypt and the Arab world. French-Egyptian relations have been excellent for decades. Numerous French companies are also present in Egypt and give jobs to tens of thousands of individuals. Additionally, Egypt was also the first nation to purchase 24 French Rafale combat aircraft in 2015. It was opening doors for future exports of these aircraft to other countries.
Egypt is now one of France’s main importers of military equipment. This proximity goes back to the Middle East policies of France’s late President Charles de Gaulle. The general, who served from 1958 to 1969, took a centrist approach to the Middle East.
This included backing and acknowledging Israel, though not without conditions. De Gaulle condemned Israel and imposed an arms embargo after the actions of the country triggered the Six-Day War in June 1967 with a preemptive strike against Egypt. De Gaulle advocated caution in his dealings with Arab countries.
Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande, and now Emmanuel Macron have all sat down with Cairo weekly. Since the 1979 peace accord, Cairo has been considered a potential partner. At that time, Egypt became the first Arab nation to officially acknowledge Israel through the Camp David Accords.
French official visit to Egypt during turbulent political circumstances
The timing of the upcoming trip is crucial. Macron is taking advantage of a global power vacuum to assert himself as a prominent leader on the world stage West. The US seems disjointed at this point. Meanwhile, Germany is organizing itself via negotiations for a coalition government. In fact, its influence in the Middle East has diminished, similar to Italy and the UK.
Egypt has an important role. With a population of approximately 110 million, and situated at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, and Europe. Developments in Egypt have far-reaching consequences. The country is very important in migration. They take in many refugees from surrounding countries. Unlike Libya, these refugees do not travel further. It is seen as a bulwark of stability within an area tormented by civil wars and living terrorist groups.
The Middle East holds that you cannot wage war or negotiate peace without Egypt, as this nation is pivotal among Arab states.
