Egypt–Russia relations
Encyclopedia
Egypt–Russia relations refer to bilateral relations between Egypt
and Russia
. Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Egypt were established on August 26, 1943. Egypt has an embassy in Moscow
. Russia has an embassy in Cairo and a consulate-general in Alexandria
.
's support for the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
. As early as in 1556, Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria
sent a letter to the Russian Czar Ivan IV
, asking the Orthodox monarch to provide some material assistance for the Monastery of St. Catherine
in Sinai, which had suffered from the Turks. In 1558 the Czar sent to Egypt a delegation led by archdeacon Gennady, who, however, died in Constantinople before he could reach Egypt. From then on, the embassy was headed by a Smolensk
merchant Vasily Poznyakov. Poznyakov's delegation visited Alexandria, Cairo, and Sinai, brought the patriarch a fur coat and an icon sent by the Czar. Poznyakov's account of its two and half years' travels, which may have been the first ever Russian first-hand African trip report, became popular among Russian readers for centuries to follow.
Russia continued to provide support to Egyptian Christians for centuries to come.
In the 1950s, Gamal Abdel Nasser
independent and anti-imperialist policy earned him enthusiastic support from the Communist government of the USSR. The degree of the Soviet approval of the Egyptian leader's policies culminated, rather controversially, in the award of the highest Soviet decoration, the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union
with the Order of Lenin
to Nasser during Nikita Khrushchev
's visit to the African country in 1964.
During the Nasser years, many young Egyptians studied in Soviet universities and military schools. Among them was the future president, Hosni Mubarak
, who went for training in a military pilot school in Kyrgyztan
.
The relationship went sour within years after the death of Nasser, when the new president Anwar Sadat
started re-orienting the country toward the West.
Intergovernmental relations improved after the fall of Communism in the USSR, and Russia's appearance as an independent political actor.
In April 2005 the then Russian President (currently, Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin
visited Egypt, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
visited Russia in April 2008. Both countries agreed to work together to help Egypt create a nuclear programme which is mostly for civilian purposes.
, Cairo
, offering training in pharmacy and engineering.
Many of its students visit Izhevsk
, Russia, for additional classroom study and summer internships.
Plans are under way to add a program in nuclear power engineering as well.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Egypt were established on August 26, 1943. Egypt has an embassy in Moscow
Embassy of Egypt in Moscow
The Embassy of Egypt in Moscow is the diplomatic mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Russian Federation. The chancery is located at 12 Kropotkinsky Lane in the Khamovniki District of Moscow.- External links :...
. Russia has an embassy in Cairo and a consulate-general in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.
History
Relations between Russia and Egypt have a long history. Early on, they were centered on the Russian government's and the Russian ChurchRussian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
's support for the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity.Officially, it is called the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria to distinguish it from the...
. As early as in 1556, Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria
Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria
- Joachim and Russia:In 1556 Joachim sent a letter to the Russian Czar Ivan IV, asking the Orthodox monarch to provide some material assistance for the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, which had suffered from the Turks. In 1558 the Czar sent to Egypt a delegation led by archdeacon Gennady,...
sent a letter to the Russian Czar Ivan IV
Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
, asking the Orthodox monarch to provide some material assistance for the Monastery of St. Catherine
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
Saint Catherine's Monastery lies on the Sinai Peninsula, at the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai in the city of Saint Catherine in Egypt's South Sinai Governorate. The monastery is Orthodox and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
in Sinai, which had suffered from the Turks. In 1558 the Czar sent to Egypt a delegation led by archdeacon Gennady, who, however, died in Constantinople before he could reach Egypt. From then on, the embassy was headed by a Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
merchant Vasily Poznyakov. Poznyakov's delegation visited Alexandria, Cairo, and Sinai, brought the patriarch a fur coat and an icon sent by the Czar. Poznyakov's account of its two and half years' travels, which may have been the first ever Russian first-hand African trip report, became popular among Russian readers for centuries to follow.
Russia continued to provide support to Egyptian Christians for centuries to come.
In the 1950s, Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
independent and anti-imperialist policy earned him enthusiastic support from the Communist government of the USSR. The degree of the Soviet approval of the Egyptian leader's policies culminated, rather controversially, in the award of the highest Soviet decoration, the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
with the Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
to Nasser during Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
's visit to the African country in 1964.
During the Nasser years, many young Egyptians studied in Soviet universities and military schools. Among them was the future president, Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
, who went for training in a military pilot school in Kyrgyztan
Kant Air Base
Kant Air Base is a military air base in Ysyk-Ata District of Chuy Oblast in Kyrgyzstan. It is located just south of the city of Kant, some 20 km east of downtown Bishkek.- History :...
.
The relationship went sour within years after the death of Nasser, when the new president Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
started re-orienting the country toward the West.
Intergovernmental relations improved after the fall of Communism in the USSR, and Russia's appearance as an independent political actor.
In April 2005 the then Russian President (currently, Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
visited Egypt, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
visited Russia in April 2008. Both countries agreed to work together to help Egypt create a nuclear programme which is mostly for civilian purposes.
Tourism
Russians constitute the largest group of outsiders to visit Egypt, while Russia is popular with Egyptian tourists as well.Higher education
In 2006, the Egyptian Russian University was opened in Badr CityBadr City
Badr City Badr City Badr City (Badr, Arabic مدينة بدر Madinit Badr; is located in eastern Cairo, Egypt.-Badr City:Badr City is one of the promising industry cities, which may penetrate and obtain an essential category worldwide....
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, offering training in pharmacy and engineering.
Many of its students visit Izhevsk
Izhevsk
Izhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. Population: From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov |Minister of Defense of the USSR]], Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center,...
, Russia, for additional classroom study and summer internships.
Plans are under way to add a program in nuclear power engineering as well.
See also
- Foreign relations of EgyptForeign relations of EgyptEgypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East, Africa, and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a...
- Foreign relations of RussiaForeign relations of RussiaThe foreign relations of Russia is the policy of the Russian government by which it guides the interactions with other nations, their citizens and foreign organizations and sets standards of interaction for Russian organizations, corporations and individual citizens towards them...
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