EGYPT: Questions over benefits from Non-Aligned Movement summit

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While the Egyptian government is proudly hosting the 15th Non-Aligned Movement summit in the resort of Sharm el Sheik, many citizens are wondering what use or benefit such a meeting has for their country.

The more cynical are convinced the summit is needless propaganda for the government, which in their eyes attempts to improve its international image by hosting similar events regardless of domestic profits. The NAM meeting, which ends today, includes 118 member countries represented by no fewer than 8,000 personnel, and questions were raised on how much they will cost Egyptian taxpayers, who are not likely to receive anything in return.

The movement, which former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser founded with Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955, was formed by countries that chose not to ally with either the United States or the Soviet Union during the Cold War. However, it was clear the movement lost some of its defining aspirations only a few years after its establishment.

Egypt was forced to take sides with the Eastern Bloc after the 1956 war against Britain, France and Israel in the aftermath of nationalizing the Suez Canal. In the 1960s, the Union Soviet became Nasser’s strongest ally against the West, and Soviet experts were helping Egypt on Nile River projects and building its army.

Pundits contend that nowadays Egypt has more reasons not to be considered a nonaligned country. An article published by Al Dustour newspaper Wednesday titled ‘An aligned regime heads a summit for nonaligned countries’ says Egypt has been a strategic ally to the United States in the Middle East for more than two decades. The article doubts whether any regime in the world is capable of fulfilling all its interests without being aligned to one big power or another.

It is also clear that some countries have come to this year’s summit with national rather than universal agendas aimed at the movement’s original goals. The highlight of the summit is expected to be the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yusaf Raza Gilani, at which Singh is set to voice his country’s demand for the summit to call for a fight against terrorism amid tensions between Iran and Pakistan.

All this makes many Egyptians unhappy over their nation’s role and financial outlay as summit host. Such disappointment is compounded by experts’ awareness that NAM is increasingly less fruitful.

-- Amro Hassan in Cairo