Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s two-day visit to Cairo [in June] heralds a greater Russian role in the Middle East. During extended talks with President Hosni Mubarak and a visit to the headquarters of the Arab League, where he met with its Secretary-General Amr Moussa and the representative of Arab states, Medvedev signaled that Moscow is seeking to once again become a key player in the politics, economics and military affairs of a region where the Soviet Union once held sway.
By according Medvedev a high-profile welcome, similar to that granted to U.S. President Barack Obama earlier [that] month, Egypt seems determined to help the Russian comeback. …
Egyptian, Arab League and Russian diplomats in Cairo all say the cornerstone of future cooperation will be the peace process. … Egyptian diplomats say that while Cairo is convinced that the U.S. is ultimately able to bring about a peace deal it remains useful to have the support of other players, especially Russia.
Former Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in 2007 that Moscow host a peace conference that would address the entire Arab-Israeli struggle and not just the Palestinian-Israeli file. The proposal received lukewarm support from Washington and other capitals. Israel, under then prime minister Ehud Olmert, expressed skepticism. The Arab League and Arab states welcomed the idea. Today the situation has changed, though only slightly. Washington and other concerned Western capitals—partners with Russia in the International Quartet on the Middle East—are less apprehensive. Access the full article>>
