It was only to be expected that West Asia would figure prominently in the discussions between President Mubarak and Mrs. Gandhi. The Indian Prime Minister is as anxious that there is some progress towards peace and stability in the region as the Egyptian leader. Countries of the region are India’s major trading partners; a large number of Indians work in some of these countries; their earnings are vital for meeting the country’s substantial trade deficit; New Delhi gets its oil requirements from the Gulf; and it is keen that continuing conflicts in the region do riot lead to an increased interference by the superpowers in the affairs of the area. But unlike Egypt, India is not a West Asian power. And unlike the United States, it does not possess much leverage with the principal actors in the West Asian drama. It can be argued that New Delhi has handicapped itself by adopting a wholly anti-Israel stance. But whether or not this stance is justified on merit, India has had little choice in the matter. It just cannot risk alienating the Arabs. Moreover, a more even-handed approach would not have enabled this country to play a significant role in the region. If so powerful an entity as the European Economic Community cannot influence Israel’s policy, what chance does India have of being able to do so? All in all, we have to accept the reality that we cannot influence much the course of events in the area. Indeed, even President Mubarak is not in a much stronger position. He has to give priority to the protection of his own immediate interests. He has to find a way of returning to the Arab fold without risking the peace treaty with Israel and he has to keep in step with the United States without further alienating public opinion at home.
It will also be ridiculous to suggest that India and Egypt can return to the halcyon days of the Nehru-Nasser partnership of the fifties and the early sixties. Too many things have changed too drastically since. Neither country is now in a position to play, or even interested in playing, the same kind of role. The non-aligned movement has also lost some of its old clout. The West no longer cares all that much about it if only because the Soviet Union cannot provide the necessary support to its key members. So essentially Indo-Egyptian relations have to be viewed in a bilateral framework. These ties have been allowed to become lukewarm in recent years. It should not be too difficult to restore some warmth and content to them. But it is pointless to exaggerate the possibilities. India has its priorities and so does Egypt. There is not much they can do to help each other. Even so, they should maintain a meaningful dialogue so that they can seize such opportunities as may be available to them to step up their bilateral cooperation.