"We shall never forget the former USSR's contribution to the arming and training of the Egyptian army, its economic assistance, Soviet builders of the Aswan dam and teachers-but that was in the past. Today we need a new impetus for the development of economic and political cooperation between the two countries," said Walid Ibrahim of the University of Cairo.
Egyptians are expecting Russia to be more active in the processes in the Middle East, to be more impartial in assessing these processes, according to Walid Ibrahim. "A powerful Russia is what the whole world needs-not only Egypt-for destroying the one-polar America-led Western system that obtains now," he noted.
His opinion is shared by Suleiman Atar, professor of the philology department. "For Egyptians, Russia is associated with a hefty flow of tourists who come every year on vacations to Egypt and with reminiscences about the former might of the Soviet Union and its help to Egypt," he said. "But Russia is still among the world's most powerful nuclear states. Its opinion is heeded by other countries."
Cairo university professors and students told RIA Novosti that Egypt, like all Arab countries, experienced strong pressure from the United States demanding pursuit of "democratic reforms".
"We look differently with Americans at how such reforms should be carried out, and we'd like Russia to help alleviate the Western pressure on Egypt," said Muhammad Arafa, graduate of the political affairs departments, whose Master thesis deals with the role of Russia in the Middle East during the past 15 years.
