AmCham hosted newly appointed Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit on December 15 at its monthly luncheon, held in the Grand Hyatt Cairo’s Farhaty Ballroom. A number of influential political and business figures from both Egypt and the US attended the event, including US Congressman Robert Nye (R-Ohio) and members of his staff.

Aboul Gheit spoke to the audience about the direction of Egypt’s foreign policy, highlighting what he described as the “five primary pillars” of Cairo’s approach to international diplomacy. He explained the fast pace of Egyptian diplomacy, pointing to his December 1 trip to Israel for talks aimed at reinvigorating the Middle East “Peace Process.” “The primary area of interest for Egypt is the Middle East itself,” he said, describing the region as Cairo’s diplomatic “first pillar.”

Also on December 1, Aboul Gheit traveled to sub-Saharan Africa – the “second pillar” of diplomacy – for a series of meetings in the Nile basin countries of Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. “Talks were centered on a Nile basin initiative to evolve and deepen cooperation on Nile activities, as well as seeking further investment opportunities in the region,” he said.

Following a manic schedule, the minister recalled how, shortly afterward, he left Addis Ababa for Brussels, where he contended with what he described as the “third pillar” of Egyptian national interest – relations with the West. “The western world is composed of two halves, Europe and the United States, which have a shared GNP of $22 to $23 trillion,” he said, adding that this accounts for some two-thirds of a world GNP of roughly $35 trillion.

While in Europe, Aboul Gheit met with the EU Commission, attended a meeting of foreign affairs ministers from NATO countries, and got together with his counterparts in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, with which Cairo entered into an “Association Agreement” last year. “Of primary concern for Egypt is working with the Western world to diffuse the tensions that are certainly increasing in the region,” the minister said, adding that Cairo was working closely with the West against terrorism and WMD proliferation and on enhancing border controls.

The major focus of the foreign ministry, though, is Egypt’s relationship with the US, which the minister described as “the world’s economic locomotive,” boasting an $11-trillion GNP. “A global power with a global reach,” Aboul Gheit said, “the US has the ability to reach anywhere in the world and effect anyone’s interests.”

The “fourth pillar” of Egyptian diplomacy, the minister went on to say, is Cairo’s relations with Asia and Latin America. He pointed to the “powerhouse economies” of the Far East, citing Japan, China, India and Indonesia as economic tigers.

As for Latin America, he said Cairo was particularly interested in further engagement with Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. The latter two, he noted, boast a combined GNP of about $1.8 trillion, representing significant economic opportunities for Egypt. He added, however, that the Egypt’s trade balance with these two partners was wildly skewed in their favor.

“During a recent visit by Argentina’s foreign minister, we reviewed the volume of trade between our two countries,” said Aboul Gheit. “We noticed that the $405-million in annual trade volume heavily favored the Argentineans” with the Latin American country’s beef exports to Egypt totaling $400 million, compared to $5 million in imports from Egypt. He went on to recount how his ministry, with the support of the trade ministry, “convinced the Argentineans to increase volume of Egyptian imports annually, while we agreed to explore the possibility of phosphate and gas exports.”

The minister described the “fifth pillar” of Cairo’s take on international relations as its rapport with multinational political institutions, particularly the UN. “Egypt is very, very committed and maintains close contact with such organizations,” he said. “At the moment, reform of the UN is being discussed, and Egypt is very much engaged in that process, applying pressure and building alliances.”

Aboul Gheit went on to explain the twin elements of all Egyptian diplomatic enterprise – security and foreign policy. In terms of the former, which aims at “peace and stability for Egypt and the region, particularly in Iraq and Palestine,” he said “Egypt must engage with whoever is interested in building a structure of peace in those tormented countries.”

As for foreign policy, he said Egypt must pursue its economic interest in the region, as well as in the West. “Yesterday, I attended the signing of the Qualified Industrial Zone agreement [with Israel],” he said. “It’s a manifestation of how committed the foreign ministry is to furthering Egyptian trade.”
Turning to US-Egypt relations, the minister described the US as “the world’s powerhouse,” adding that Washington has the power to create – as well as punish – but should “work with other nations to achieve its goals.” He cited the importance of cooperation with Egypt to achieve a lasting peace in the region. “The United States has a relationship with a major regional power – Egypt. We in Egypt feel that we are strong and capable enough to influence regional and world events,” he declared.

The foreign minister then took questions from the audience on a number of topics touching on trade and investment reform, privatization, and weapons of mass destruction.

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