Forbes Russia-Egypt Nuclear Power Plant Deal: Why Ignoring Egypt's Needs Is Bad For The U.S. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi signed a preliminary agreement to jointly build Egypt's first nuclear power plant, after the two leaders met in Cairo on February 9-10. This announcement comes after multiple reports last November about Russia's state nuclear power company Rosatom's agreement to help Iran build several nuclear reactors, including reactors at Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant. Yet by pushing Cairo away as an ally, and continuing to ignore its real security and energy needs, Washington is increasing Egypt's necessity to build a nuclear power plant in the first place. Cairo used to be Washington's partner on energy cooperation. This is no longer the case. Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/annaborshchevskaya/2015/02/13/russia-egypt-nuclear-power-plant-deal-why-ignoring-egypts-needs-is-bad-for-the-u-s/ The Guardian Egypt poised for Libya evacuations as Isis hostage photos emerge Egypt has offered to evacuate thousands of its citizens from Libya after Islamic State (Isis) released pictures showing 21 kidnapped Egyptian Christians paraded in orange jumpsuits. Egypt said it had no choice but take urgent measures on Friday with Isis expanding fast across Libya, its war-stricken neighbor. "We are helping them," Cairo's foreign ministry spokesman, Badr Abdelatty, said. "If they would like to come back from Libya, we are facilitating their return to their home country." The Coptic Christian guest workers were kidnapped in Sirte, on Libya's coast, by Isis units based there in two operations in December and January. Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/13/egypt-libya-evacuate-isis-hostage-photos-islamic-state Press TV Amnesty concerned over French arms sales to Egypt Amnesty International has voiced concern over France's agreement to sell fighter planes and a frigate to Egypt, saying they could be used to commit rights violations in the North African country. "The question we should ask is whether these planes will be used to commit violations of international humanitarian law or human rights.... we know that Egypt, with regards to its use of force, has not always been respectful of international law," said Aymeric Elluin, head of advocacy at France Amnesty International, referring to an announcement of the sale on Thursday. Read more: http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/14/397514/Amnesty-raps-France-arms-deal-with-Egypt Al Monitor Egypt sees al-Azhar as key to Africa Egypt rejoined the African Union on June 17, 2014, and since that time, the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been trying to expand its regional role in Africa through a stronger foreign policy and hopes to use the soft power of religion to reassert Egypt's cultural influence in African societies. The Foreign Ministry has called on al-Azhar, the thousand-year-old university and center of Sunni religious thought, for assistance. A Foreign Ministry source specializing in African affairs told Al-Monitor, "There is a strategy to mainly rely on religious institutions, such as al-Azhar and the church, to spread culture and influence in small communities in African countries." Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said, "There are significant challenges to restoring al-Azhar's power and reforming its foreign policy, especially in Africa, after al-Azhar missions that were sent to African countries many years ago failed to achieve their goal. In fact, they became a burden to Egyptian foreign policy ... There are still lengthy consultations between the Foreign Ministry and al-Azhar to activate the role of al-Azhar's missions in Africa for the benefit of Egyptian interests and to spread moderate Islam at a time when radical and terrorist thought controls several parts of the continent, threatening Egypt's security." Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/egypt-role-africa-al-azhar-missions.html#ixzz3RhnY8Hwg
