Joint naval exercises between Egypt and Russia: a first for the Egyptians in the Black Sea and a possible ‘signal to Ankara’

Ruslan Mamedov, the program coordinator at Russia’s Council on International Affairs and co-author of the book The Army and Security in the Middle East and North Africa, wrote an analysis for Kommersant on the week-long Russian-Egyptian naval exercises. , whose code name is Friendship Bridge. , which began on November 17, 2020. The exercises took place in the Black Sea, and to get there the Egyptian naval squadron had to pass through the Turkish Strait on the way to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which served as a center for the exercises. Therefore, Mamedov’s piece was titled “Bridge over the Bosphorus”.

Russia and Egypt have been conducting joint maneuvers for several years in a row. The first “Friendship Bridge” took place in the Mediterranean in June 2015. In November 2019, the Flecha de la Amistad-2019 maneuvers of the military air defense forces of the two countries were carried out, and a little Earlier, in Russia, the Russian Airborne Forces instructed Egyptian paratroopers on airborne assault tactical doctrine as part of the forces in the Defenders of Friendship-2019 maneuvers.[1]

This year’s exercises were held against a backdrop of tension between Russia and Turkey and Egypt and Turkey, which is why the entry of the Egyptian Navy into the Bosphorus for the first time drew attention. Some Russian military experts commented: “Unidentified Russian military experts predicted that naval exercises” should help some hotheads in Turkey, who suddenly remembered their country’s imperial ambitions. Cairo has disagreements with the Turkish leadership on the situation in Libya, and Moscow assumed responsibility for resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, in which the Turks did not hesitate to intervene. “[2] Mamedov agrees with this reasoning, but qualifies it by adding that Russia, although firing a shot through the Turkish bow, still intends to seek cooperation with Ankara. Mamedov’s article follows below:[3]

Friendship Bridge logo with the flags of Russia and Egypt (Source: Eadaily.com)

“The weekly Russian-Egyptian naval exercise ‘Friendship Bridge-2020 started today in Novorossiysk. [It is an] Historical event: Egyptian ships had never entered the Black Sea before. In the context of events in the Middle East and neighboring regions (in the Mediterranean and the Caucasus), the exercises were perceived as a “signal for Ankara”.

“To participate in the naval exercises, the Egyptian ships passed through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. Egyptian observers point out that for Cairo, the entry of their ships in the Black Sea, in the Turkish zone of influence, is an opportunity to demonstrate to Ankara that it must take into account the views of other countries. The traditional rivalry between Ankara and Cairo has recently turned into outright enmity. Egypt is especially unhappy with Ankara’s actions in Libya, where the Turks supported the Tripoli government and they signed two treaties without the participation of other countries in the region (one of the treaties regulates the demarcation of maritime borders in the Mediterranean).

“Considering Cairo’s support for Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, many of Ankara’s actions in the Libyan conflict are perceived as colonialist and hostile. From the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo they are make statements that Turkey’s occupation of Syria (and therefore Arab territories is unacceptable The complex mosaic of competition from the Eastern Mediterranean, coupled with energy issues, places Egypt and Turkey on opposite sides on almost every issue .

“It is not surprising that in this context, the Russian-Egyptian naval exercises are perceived by many as a signal for Ankara, especially since Russia has something to reproach Turkey as well, albeit implicitly.

However, it should be noted that Russia is trying to maintain a neutral position in the Middle East and maintains contacts with all players. Judging from the same Libya issue, it can be seen that Moscow considers Cairo’s interests, but at the same time actively works together with Turkey. Furthermore, the exercises were planned in advance, despite the current political situation, and the parties debated their preparation for a long time. And the reality of the Russian-Egyptian exercises themselves has become commonplace. The first naval exercises of the “Bridge of Friendship” were carried out in 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt. Since then, the Russian and Egyptian armies have only increased their level of cooperation. One of the latest events was the “Arrow of Friendship 2019” exercise by air defense units in Egypt.

“The naval exercises of Russia and Egypt aim to ‘strengthen and develop cooperation’ between the two countries in the field of security and in the ‘exchange of experiences between military personnel in the prevention of various threats in areas of intensive maritime routes. ‘. Overall, this approach provides a serious basis for the bilateral agenda of Moscow and Cairo, whose views on international politics largely coincide, as do their areas of focus.

“One of the latest examples is Sudan, where Moscow intends to create a logistics center for the Russian Navy. At the same time, Egypt and Sudan also began to develop bilateral military cooperation: while Egyptian ships were sent to the Black Sea [for naval exercises], the Egyptian army carried out the joint military exercises “Nile Eagles-1” with Sudan.[4]

“But Moscow and Cairo’s motives are naturally different. As Egypt strives to develop a common position with Sudan to counter Ethiopia in the disputes over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Moscow is establishing its presence in a region of importance. strategy and logistics with access to the Ocean world, through which the main trade routes pass. Although, on the one hand, it focuses attention on the Middle East, Moscow is also directing its attention to the African continent. The Egyptian-Russian exercise is another I step in this direction … “

Ruslan Mamedov (Source: Russiancouncil.ru)