Egypt has been a geopolitical hub for decades and has always played a pivotal role within each past regime such as the Nasserist era when Arab socialism was crucial but had better ties within the Arab region and no positive relations with the U.S and Israel, then came Sadat's eurocentric model and the bloom of international corporations.

Mubarak's regime was a mainstream of all these models and now post revolution Egypt seems to be gaining a new model.

Today SCAF's mismanagement of the country has made Egypt unpopular in the eyes of the international community. Some international corporations are no longer thinking of Cairo as a place where regional affairs can be handled.

Egypt has shown a lot of sympathy towards the Iranian nuclear programme, which has made the US suspicious of Cairo's intentions towards Tehran and initiated a rift between Egypt and the U.S.

There are also political problems in Egypt that concern both the US and Europe. According to an official at the Ministry of Defence, It is not surprising that, following recent visits by senior US military commanders to Cairo, military manoeuvres with Egypt were cancelled.
Military advisers at Egypt's Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, believes it will take a decade for Egypt to regain its former influence in regional security matters.

Every presidential candiate in Egypt has echoed that their first task as president of the new republic of Egypt is to settle matters domestically and politically as this will reflect on Egypt's foreign policy and the way Egypt is perceived abroad.

The presidential race is in full gear, as top runners Amr Mousa and Aboul Footoh have both highlighted how Egypt's new foreign policy under a new president is adamant to revise relations with both the U.S and Israel.

Source: Islam Times