"Egypt's Foreign Policy: A Reflection on U.S. Relations"

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Maher spoke on July 1 at the Conrad Hotel about the current state of relations between Egypt and the United States. "There is no earth-shattering news - and that is good news," the newly appointed minister said at the outset. "The relationship is as strong as ever."

He had just returned from a round of meetings with officials of the new U.S. administration, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, in Washington, D.C. "I can report to you that relations are fine," he said. "Not that there are no disagreements - but the basis of our relationship with the U.S. is sound."

Maher said that this relationship is based on shared values, with both countries desiring peace and stability - meaning, in practice, an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict - as well as economic development and prosperity. "The new U.S. administration doesn't want to change the relationship with Egypt - they just want to put their print on it," he said. "The goal remains the same. There is no change in the desire of both countries for a better, stronger, deeper, wider relationship."

The minister referred to the work in recent years of the U.S.-Egyptian Presidents' Council, which included committees involving businessmen from both sides, as a key element in the expansion of the relationship to include not only aid, but also trade, investment and technology transfer. "We have stopped basing the relationship solely on aid - although aid was a two-way street, with benefits for both sides," he said.

The phrase "from aid to trade," he added, is a distortion of what should actually be expressed as "trade and aid." "Aid still remains a very important aspect of the relationship."

As for the differences that exist between the two sides, Maher pointed first to the difficulty of exporting Egyptian goods into U.S. markets. "We have to produce better goods," he conceded. "But they have to open their doors."

Regarding the ongoing search for Middle East peace, the minister said that Egypt and the United States "don't start from the same point, although our roads often meet and correspond." He said that Egypt recognized the special ties between the United States and Israel as a factor that could not be dismissed, just as Egypt has deep and indelible associations with the Arab world, including Palestine.

The recent Egyptian-Jordanian initiative, which some observers suggested had fizzled out, had actually produced some vital ideas that had been adopted by the Mitchell Commission. For example, Maher noted, "Egypt introduced Europe and the UN into the process - something the U.S. previously resisted."

The discussions held during Powell's visit made it clear that Egypt and the United States "agree on certain fundamental things in the report," Maher said. One of these points is the need for a freeze on Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. There can be "no exceptions - including lateral growth," he said.

All parties accept the Mitchell recommendations as a "road map" to final status negotiations, which, Maher added, must be based on the principles agreed by everyone, including UN Resolution 242, the Madrid agreement and the principle of exchanging land for peace.

"Where we don't see eye to eye with the U.S.," Maher said, "is timing." With an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire in effect, implementation of agreements should be immediate, meaning "a matter of days or weeks, rather than months." Insisting on a "cooling-off period" is pointless, he added, "unless it is accompanied by actions indicating Israeli acceptance of implementation."

He insisted that for real progress to be achieved, "Israel must stop its provocations." The latest provocation, he added, had happened that day, with Israel's bombing of a Syrian radar station in Lebanon. "This is provocation," Maher said.

Maher concluded with a reminder that the shared values underlying Egyptian-U.S. relations are essentially interdependent. "Bilateral relations and efforts for peace are components of economic development," he said. "It is only in a region where people can work in peace, that we can hope for prosperity."

In the question and answer session that followed, Maher addressed several questions on regional tensions and the peace process. Regarding U.S. policy towards Iraq, he stressed that sanctions are clearly not a success and are harming the Iraqi population. "It's time to end sanctions - which does not mean adopting 'smart sanctions,'" he said. "It's time to ensure that the sufferings of the Iraqi population come to an end; that the territorial integrity of Iraq and its neighbors is secured; and that what happened a few years ago never happens again."

Other questions concerned trade-related issues. Maher stressed that Egypt's recent signing of a partnership agreement with the European Union would have no bearing on progress towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. "There's no contradiction," he said. "Egypt has expressed interest in an FTA, but the U.S. side is not legislatively ready."

Meanwhile, Maher urged prospective investors not to wait, as competitors might enter the market first. "If you have an opportunity, seize it.

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