US president Joe Biden visited Egypt on Friday to attend a climate COP 27 Summit where he had to answer questions on the steps his nation is willing to take to unite major greenhouse gas emitters against climate change. But White House staff announced that Biden would address the subject of human rights with Egypt’s president El-Sissi, with whom he had a meeting resultantly undermining the COP 27 Summit.
While El-Sissi stated that his nation respects human rights, Biden and his aides called for the release of an Egyptian activist named Alaa Abdel-Fattah who has been in jail for a long time.
Biden said the two nations are “continuing our dialogue on human rights” and added that he hopes they would be “closer, stronger in every way.”
US tried to defame El-Sissi
It’s unfortunate that Joe Biden turned a climate COP 27 Summit into political propaganda against Egypt. The meeting was meant to address issues of climate change and global warming. These are topics on which the US is always eager to talk, however, the POTUS misused this opportunity to politicise the event and interfere in the internal affairs of another country. This is a classic US strategy here, it never shies from maligning other nations on the issues of democracy and human rights. And this time it did this with Egypt.
El-Sissi once supported the US and Europe but not anymore. As the current US president Joe Biden has been ignorant towards Egypt. Time and again Biden has taken decisions and made statements which are indirectly an attack on the sovereignty of Egypt and/or its allies. America’s soft stance on Iran is also a factor why Egypt turned away from the West.
West is angry at Egypt
Now, Biden is disappointed with Egypt. Why?
The stance taken by Egypt in the wake of Ukraine-Russia crisis was not what the West was hoping for, as it called for a constructive dialogue between the two sides.
The West called on the North African nation to back their ally Ukraine because it follows the West’s diktats.
Due to the ignorance of Biden towards its allies like Egypt. Its President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a staunch ally of the West, started forging deep ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin which led to the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries in 2018. Resultantly strengthening the political, military and economic relationship between Moscow and Cairo over time.
Egypt also criticized the US and Europe for imposing sanctions on Russia. Its permanent representative to the UN, Osama Mahmoud Abdel-Khalek, represented Egypt’s position on the sanctions, telling that, “Egypt rejects the approach of employing economic sanctions outside the framework of the mechanisms of the multilateral international system.”
Egypt also joined other Arab nations in their support to Russia in light of countless attempts and aggressions by the West to undermine Moscow’s political stability, security and integrity. The Arab countries abstained from a vote which demanded the suspension of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Oil-producing countries also rejected Biden’s demand to increase oil and gas production to fill the void left by Russian oil and gas. In fact, the decision by OPEC took place in Vienna headquarters in the presence of Russia’s deputy Prime Minister who is currently sanctioned by the West.
These nations, which are benefitting from high fuel prices, reminded the US that they want to create a Middle East where the presence of the US is limited.
Egypt and other Arab states are well aware of the hypocrisy of the West because when the US invaded Iraq in 2003, none of the countries which are now rallying for Ukraine, called for the imposition of sanctions on the US or its diplomatic boycott.
Read more: How China controls Africa’s voting rights at UN
US lost Egypt’s support
Biden suffered a blow from OPEC+ nations. Their move highlighted the failure of his foreign policy and diplomacy.
But Biden could have used this meeting with the Egyptian president to improve his relations with the Arab state and its partners. He could have announced something constructive which would have furthered the US’s interests which is dealing with an unprecedented recession. But instead Biden decided to malign El-Sissi on the international stage.
Ironically, when it comes to human rights, it is the US which has committed the highest number of violations, therefore it has no right to lecture other countries given its own record. Make no mistake, human rights is a necessary topic but there is a time and place to address it.
With this, the US could have revived its ties with Egypt but it chose to discuss an irrelevant issue on the COP 27 stage. This will now force Egypt to join the Russian camp with full devotion and dump the West until it comes begging for Egypt’s support once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvLcf3SRAcA