Legal residentura Cairo

After the coup and the establishment of a republic in 1953, the USSR and Czechoslovakia began intensive cooperation with the Egyptian regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser. In September 1955, a major military contract was concluded, which ended the Western monopoly on supplies of weapons to the region. The residentura was one of the most important and largest in the Middle East and worked closely with the KGB. It also operated in numerous commercial departments (branch in Alexandria), offices of Czechoslovak Airlines (ČSA) and the Czechoslovak Press Agency (ČTK). As part of program 105 military material was imported into the country. In 1956, the Resident was First Lieutenant Josef Šebesta "Miksa" and in 1961 the deputy became Captain František Vlček "Petřina". In 1964, during the visit of Nikita Khrushchev, the residentura actively used agents to prepare Egypt for negotiations with the Soviet delegation. At that time (1962 – 1966) the Resident was MajorJarmil Smetana "Šustr". From 1969 – 1972 Major VladimírHrušecký "Houska" (left) was Deputy Resident. From October 1969 the Resident was Major František Šnajdr "Ditrych", 1972 – 1978 Lieutenant Colonel Zdeněk Kvita "Peterka". The Cairo Resident of the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff Karel Sochor (bottom left) was in 1981 appointed chief of Directorate I of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. From 1981 – 1987, the residentura was headed by Captain Ing. Jaromir Kaloč "Kaluža (Puddle)". The residentura monitored American and NATO facilities in the region, gaining knowledge of their policies and economic situation, monitored the interests and activities of Israel, the activities of terrorist groups and their actions against Czechoslovakia and the communist countries. It performed tasks in conjunction with the Soviet intelligence service. The Intelligence Service successfully built a network of agents in the ranks of the intelligence and security forces. In 1987, the Deputy Resident was Major Ján Kuruc "Mináč". The last Resident appointed was Major František Kaleja "Antalík".