PISM Seminar: The Foreign Policy of Egypt in the Muslim Brotherhood Agenda

On 24 April, the Polish Institute of International Affairs held the seminar “The Foreign Policy of Egypt in the Muslim Brotherhood Agenda”.  The opening remarks were by Waleed El Haddad, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Freedom and Justice Party; Dina Zakaria, a representative for Foreign Affairs and Women’s Issues in the Muslim Brotherhood, Freedom and Justice Party; and Patrycja Sasnal, Middle East analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs. The event was moderated by Kacper Rękawek (PISM). The aim of the meeting was to analyse the foreign policy of Egypt, with particular emphasis on the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The discussion started with an overview of the current foreign policy agendas of the main political parties represented in parliament. It was pointed out that the country’s new approach would be characterised by efforts towards restoring Egypt’s leadership role both in the region and also worldwide. Thus, it is expected Egypt will take a proactive approach towards the Palestinian problem and to fostering regional cooperation, in particular with Nile Basin countries. A decreasing interest in relations with the U.S. and the EU can be seen in the political parties’ agendas, in many of which anti-Americanism reverberates. The overall image of Europe held by Egyptians is still favourable as the EU is seen as a source of institutional support and a main trading partner.

The next part of the discussion focused on the agenda of the Freedom and Justice Party and  the wider social movement of the Muslim Brotherhood. The group’s foreign policy program stresses the aim of restoring the political role of Egypt in the region and worldwide. There is also a focus on developing regional cooperation as a means of promoting mutual understanding in the region. Representatives of the MB stressed the need to adopt a balanced approach between East and West in Egyptian foreign policy. Also, the role of women on the MB agenda was discussed, with references to both the social and political positions of women. It was pointed out that the further development of political roles for women is a major challenge.

During the Q&A session, participants further explored the issue of Egypt’s future relations with Israel in reference to the recent gas crisis and the prospects for renegotiating the peace agreement between the two. Additionally, the stance of the Muslim Brotherhood on the Palestinian issue was further addressed by references to problems both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. As for Syria, the need for further diplomatic and economic pressure was noted as a preferable manner for dealing with the situation there, and military intervention was excluded. Finally, the geopolitical context of the region was noted when analysing Egypt’s position in the region and mapping possible scenarios for Egypt’s relations with Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

By Magdalena Nasieniak