Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was in Egypt on Monday, the first by a Syrian FM since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.
He held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in what observers said were efforts to “ease strains in relations”. They expected broader cooperation between them in the future, especially in economic fields.
Shaibani and Abdelatty had first contacted each other in a telephone call on December 31, 2024. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met in Cyprus last month on the sidelines of an Arab-European consultative summit.
Damascus and Cairo had moved cautiously in reviving relations since the ouster of the Assad regime due to Egyptian security concerns that were gradually erased by growing economic cooperation. An Egyptian trade delegation had visited Damascus in early 2026 for the first time in 15 years. The two sides eventually signed an energy cooperation agreement.
Syrian television said Shaibani’s visit on Sunday was part of efforts to revive relations with Egypt.
Egyptian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal al-Shaar issued an order for the formation of the Syrian-Egyptian business council.
Member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and former assistant foreign minister Mohamed Hegazy told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shaibani’s visit, days after the “friendly meeting between Sisi and Sharaa, was a positive sign that relations between Egypt and Syria were being revived.”
“Raising the level of diplomatic representation hinges on tangible results in security and institutional files in Syria,” he added.
The economy will be the gateway through which more cooperation will be established between them, especially given the opportunities that are available, such as in reconstruction, energy, and trade, he went on to say.
Syrian political analyst Abdullah al-Hamad told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shaibani’s visit “put to rest” Cairo’s concerns over the new Syrian authorities and “will be an opportunity for rapprochement with Egypt, given its political weight in the region.”
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday said Shaibani and Abdelatty held expanded talks that tackled bilateral relations and coordinating stances over regional developments.
Abdelatty underscored Cairo’s ongoing support for Damascus and the depth of the historic, popular and cultural relations between them.
Egypt’s position towards the Syrian crisis has firmly called for restoring security and stability and preserving the country’s unity, he added.
He expressed his rejection of foreign meddling in Syrian affairs, called for more intense efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and addressing the issue of foreign fighters in Syria.
He also underlined Egypt’s “categorical rejection of Israel’s flagrant violations of Syrian sovereignty.”
Shaibani and Abdelatty also discussed regional developments amid the conflict between the US and Iran, and they exchanged views over the situation in Lebanon.
