Seven Secrets for Negotiating with Government: How to Deal with Local, State, National, or Foreign Governments—and Come Out Ahead

• CHAPTER FIVE •

The Political Imperative

The Special Nature of Government Interests and How

They Affect Negotiations

‘‘The secret of neg otiationisto har moni ze the in terests of

theparties concerned.’’

—FRANC

¸

OIS DE CALLIE

`

RES (1716)

In the mid-1970s, a group of English and Hong Kong property

developers signed a contract with the Egyptian government to

build a ‘‘destination resort’’ near the famous Giza pyramids just

outside of Cairo. As work began on the Pyramids project, public

opposition rapidly grew both inside and outside of Egypt against

what opponents called the construction of ‘‘a Disneyland’’ that

would desecrate one of the world’s great archeological treasures.

Facing intense pressure both domestically and internationally, the

Egyptian government ...