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OPEN// Egypt continues historical role as pillar of regional stability and balance, Arab experts tell MENA
CAIRO, June 17 (MENA) – Egypt continues to play its historical role as a cornerstone of stability and a pillar of balance in the region, relying on calm and effective diplomacy aimed at defusing crises and containing conflicts before they erupt, Arab experts said.
Cairo is increasingly emerging as a trusted mediator for all parties; drawing upon its long-standing experience and well-balanced international relations, the experts told MENA.
In recent years, Egyptian diplomacy has adopted an approach of direct engagement, intensifying mediation efforts and launching real settlement initiatives that take into account the sensitivities of conflicting parties without bias or recklessness, they said.
Mohsen Al-Shobaki, a Jordanian political and strategic expert, said the joint statement by Arab and Islamic countries regarding Israeli attacks on Iran, which was initiated by Egypt, reflects a decline in regional trust in Israel's unilateral actions and highlights the extent of unconditional Western support for Israel—often at the expense of other regional allies.
Shobaki emphasized that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Egypt's leadership fully understand the seriousness of the current stage in the Middle East, as escalating tensions are being driven by extremist Israeli policies—not limited to Gaza, but extending to military and civilian targets in Iran.
Dr. Ola Shahoud, professor of international relations at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow, said that amid the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, Egypt stands out as a responsible regional actor seeking to avert catastrophe in the Middle East.
Cairo's actions are guided by a strategic vision grounded in a long history of active regional engagement and balanced diplomacy, she added.
She praised Egypt's efforts, which culminated in the joint statement that underscored the need to rid the Middle East of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, in line with relevant international resolutions, and the immediate accession of all regional states to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Dr. Areej Jaber, a professor of political science in Jordan, said the latest developments in the Middle East point to a rapid slide into unprecedented regional escalation, with Israel expanding its military reach into confrontations with sovereign states, primarily Iran—seeking what it views as a 'historic opportunity' to reshape the Middle East.
Egypt has emerged as a rational and stabilizing regional actor, reasserting its leading role in shaping balanced responses to growing threats and preventing the crisis from escalating, she noted.
Dr. Monica William, an expert in international relations, said the joint statement spearheaded by Egypt was a diplomatic signal of critical timing and significance in an increasingly volatile regional landscape.
The statement's call for restraint and the cessation of hostilities represents a revival of preventive diplomacy in a region often prone to rapid escalation, she noted.
The Egyptian initiative was more than a symbolic gesture—it was a serious effort to reset the regional dynamics, particularly as Western mediation efforts have largely failed to prevent further deterioration, she pointed out. (MENA)
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