About the important visit.. and its implications
Although the recent visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to Russia was not his first visit to Russia, nor was his meeting with its president the first, this visit acquired a special significance for protocol and objective considerations. From a protocol point of view, it was the first visit of His Highness after assuming the presidency of the state, and it is also the first visit by an Arab leader to Russia after the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis.. Which brings us to the objective considerations of the importance of the visit, and that was the beginning of its timing, as it took place at a moment characterized by severe international tension and escalation. Unprecedented in the current conflict between Russia and NATO, an atmosphere that does not suit those with trembling hands who turn their eyes to international forces before taking their positions, but does not intimidate those with visions stemming from national interests and who know how to achieve their visions. In this context, the visit was made to serve as a model for independent policies that are not based on the desires of others, but rather on national accounts.
Whoever follows the foreign policy of the UAE knows that this is its consistent line, and the examples in this regard are numerous. It is sufficient to recall the policy of openness to regional powers in pursuit of security and peace in the region, and the independent position towards the great powers, as well as the suspension of discussions in December 2021 regarding the purchase of aircraft The American “F-35” and the replacement of the French Rafale planes with them, the explicit rejection of the axes prior to the recent Jeddah summit, and the rational position on the energy issue, its latest manifestations, was evident in the recent OPEC + decision to reduce production in order to achieve stability in the global energy market.
But these independent policies and balanced positions do not appeal to certain international circles that still view international politics and its interactions with the mentality of the Cold War, so that these policies and positions are always considered as directed towards them and not as based on rational calculations that match the national interests of their owners, and therefore these circles give themselves the right to criticize The UAE foreign policy, as if the compass of quality in the policies of the countries is to identify with the foreign policy of this major power or that, and not to be guided by the compass of the national interests of the countries that own these policies! This deficient view overlooks two things; The first is that the countries with independence tendencies have become, individually or collectively, with the ingredients that enable them to take the independent decisions necessary to protect their national interests, and the second is that the top of the global system is no longer of a monopolistic nature controlled by a single superpower, as was the case in the last decade of the last century. and the first decade of this century, but the centers of international power have multiplied in a way that helps the success of countries with independent orientations in following what they deem necessary of policies and taking what they deem appropriate to achieve their vital national interests.
In that context, the two leaders met to discuss very vital issues, including bilateral relations, and how they have clearly developed since the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the two countries during the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Russia in June 2018, and the prospects for its future development. They also touched upon the urgent energy issue that haunts the world. Currently. It was clear that the two leaders agreed on the policies to be followed to achieve the interests of producers and consumers together, and to secure stability in the energy market. Finally, the two leaders discussed the issue that threatens international peace and security, which is the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Russian leader praised the tireless efforts of the UAE in this issue, whether in the exchange of prisoners between the two sides or the search for the best ways to reach a political settlement to end the conflict. This visit will be remembered as conclusive evidence of the independent foreign policy of a young country.
*Professor of Political Science – Cairo University
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