Egyptian official: Counting on China, Japan, and India to change the global order

 

Aly Houssam El-Din El-Hefny, a senior Egyptian official who has criticised US involvement in the Middle East and Africa, stated that Egypt is relying on China, Japan, India, and Russia in the context of the shifting global order.

Notably, he previously served as Egypt's ambassador to China, Hungary, Mexico, Belize, and Mongolia. Currently, he is the Secretary-General of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs.

Moreover, he clarified that he does not regard his country's bilateral ties with India and China as contradictory in an exclusive interview with ThePrint on the sidelines of the 6th Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka on Friday.

“No, it doesn't contradict itself. We will always act in our own best interests,” he declared, adding that Egypt is working to maintain a balanced foreign policy in light of the rapidly shifting global landscape.

Moreover, his comments come as bilateral ties between Egypt and India have grown during the previous 12 months. The first-ever military exercise between the two nations was conducted in Rajasthan in January, and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi then attended India's Republic Day celebrations as the primary guest.

Furthermore, on the other side, China has made significant investments in a number of African nations and, most recently, used its clout in the Middle East to mediate a settlement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, two longtime rivals in the region.