Researcher points to growing Russian influence in Mideast

(Special to The Reference) – A Middle East geostrategic affairs specialist said today that Islamist movements emerged the most victorious from the Arab Spring.

Roland Lombardi added that some of these movements succeeded in reaching power in Arab states, but they failed in preserving this power later on.

“They failed in preserving power, because they did not have enough knowledge about how to run state affairs,” Lombardi said.

He added at a seminar organized by CEMO on dialogue between the two banks of the Mediterranean that describing some Islamist movements as “peaceful” raised question marks, with these movements being involved in violence in Arab states.

Lombardi noted that Russia is gaining growing influence in Syria, which is why most countries are bypassing the US and preferring to be in close coordination with Moscow.

“Europe also is starting to lose influence in the region,” Lombardi said. “European states now also act independently, including France which used to have influence in the region, but is also losing this influence.”

The seminar focuses on cooperation between Europe and non-European Mediterranean states, including Egypt, in the fight against terrorism; illegal immigration; education, and water.

The seminar is held on the sidelines of the Two Mediterranean Banks summit which is held in Marseilles on June 23 and 24.

CEMO takes the opportunity of the summit to open discussion on the issues that cause problems between countries on the two banks of the Mediterranean.

Apart from the Arab-Israeli conflict, which stands behind most of the violence in our world today, the Arab Spring came to wreak disaster on the world and widen the scope of problems in it.