Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second President of Egypt, remains one of the key figures in the history not only of Egypt, but of the whole of Africa. His politics and ideology not only shaped the internal life of Egypt, but also had a significant impact on the country's foreign policy relations, including with the Soviet Union.
Gamal Abdel Nasser was born in 1918 and came to power as a result of the 1952 revolution that overthrew King Farouk. Nasser quickly became popular among the people due to his desire to modernize the country and reforms aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Egyptians.
Strategic partnership
At the dawn of the Cold War, when world powers were actively fighting for influence in newly liberated countries, Nasser was looking for ways to strengthen his domestic and foreign policy. A key moment in Russian-Egyptian relations was his decision to purchase weapons from the Soviet Union in 1955 after the United States refused to finance the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Economic and technical cooperation
The USSR actively supported Egypt in its quest for industrialization. The construction of the Aswan Dam has become a symbol of Soviet-Egyptian cooperation. The dam not only solved the problems of irrigation and electricity supply in Egypt, but also became a sign of technical and cultural rapprochement between the two countries.
Ideological influence
Nasser's nationalism and his policies have received wide resonance among the leaders of newly liberated African countries. Nasser acted as a leader of anti-colonialism and pan-Arabism, which resonated with politicians in many African countries. This attitude led to the formation of a group of non-aligned countries, which was an important factor in cold war global politics, and in which the USSR was looking for allies among the newly independent states.
Gamal Abdel Nasser not only significantly influenced the development of Egypt itself, but also left a significant mark on the history of Russian-African relations. It formed the basis of a new era in diplomatic and cultural relations between Russia and Africa, which were distinguished by equality and the desire for mutually beneficial cooperation. His policy clearly showed tendencies towards the creation of a multipolar world in which each state has the right to its own path of development.