India Factor in Mecca Pact? Egypt Plays It Safe Amid Regional Power Shuffle
What Happened
Reports say Egypt has not joined the Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca Pact despite Turkey pushing for its inclusion. Cairo is reportedly weighing the pact against its strong ties with India, UAE, Israel, Greece and Cyprus, while Saudi Arabia also has reservations about Egypt joining “at least for now.”
Key Takeaways
India may be a strategic reason behind Egypt’s caution, but Egypt’s larger concern is balance. Joining a pact that includes Pakistan and Turkey could complicate Cairo’s relations with India and other partners, while also tying Egypt to new collective-defence commitments in a volatile region.