Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 March / Trend A.Taghiyeva /
The new government in Egypt intends to strengthen cooperation with Russia in an attempt to put pressure on the United States, the head of the Egyptian Center for Strategic and Political Studies (Al-Ahram) Yusri Ezbawi said.
"The Egyptian authorities understand that Russia can be a very important partner for Egypt, especially in the energy sector. On the other hand, through cooperation with Moscow, Cairo could put pressure on the United States in the regional policy", Ezbawi told Trend.
According to him, the project of gas supplies from Russia to Egypt can be very beneficial to the Egyptian side, given that there is a sharp fuel and energy crisis in Egypt in recent years.
On the other hand, one should not forget that the U.S. will not allow to realize the project of Russian gas supplies to Egypt, Ezbawi said.
"In fact, Russia could become an important source of gas supply to Egypt, given also the fact that Moscow is likely to offer better terms to Cairo with consideration of the economic crisis prevailing in the country," the expert said.
Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi spoke of the possibility of gas supplies from Russia to Egypt during the talks with Vladimir Putin at the sidelines of BRICS.
"I would like to open a new page in our relations in regard to the gas sector, in particular the supply of Russian gas to Egypt," he said.
For more than a year Egypt has been struggling with fuel and energy crisis. Fuel prices are sharply rising in the country and there is an acute shortage of energy, particularly for power plants. Egypt has appealed to the Arab countries for help in solving the energy crisis. Iraq and Libya have expressed their willingness to supply oil and petroleum products to the country under relaxed conditions with a credit payment.
