Turning to Asia: Al-Ahram

Populism divides democracies of the West, leading to the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and election of Donald Trump. Such trends also hamper relations with the Middle East. An example of such difficulties includes a February conference in Warsaw on Iranian aggression and working around US withdrawal from a nuclear agreement with Iran. “Washington’s poor coordination with friends and allies ensured that the message the conference meant to send was feeble and more a reflection of European-US rifts than the ability of allies to forge a united stance on the concerns of this region,” explains Abdel-Moneim Said. He adds that the US deviates from rules and conventions that it promoted since World War II. Some allies even worry about disintegration of NATO. Countries in the Middle East, in must response, must be self-reliant and pursue diverse foreign relations. Arab nations can turn to Asian giants like India and China and perhaps even form an Arab NATO. Saudi Arabia is among the world’s top oil exporters and the world’s third biggest military spender, and the crown prince already taking steps to extend ties with Pakistan, India and China. – YaleGlobal