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Blinken, Shoukry Discuss Cooperation, Regional Issues

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Reuters)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Reuters)
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Blinken, Shoukry Discuss Cooperation, Regional Issues

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Reuters)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Wednesday the strong strategic partnership between both countries, in addition to a number of issues of common concern.

This came during the first phone call between the two officials since US President Joe Biden took office.

"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of the strong strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, particularly in security and ongoing counterterrorism cooperation, and exchanged views on regional issues," State Department said in a statement.

Blinken also raised "concerns" over human rights situation in Egypt, which he emphasized would be central to the US-Egypt bilateral relationship.

According to the statement, he also raised the issue of Egypt’s potential procurement of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia.

Blinken and Shoukry further discussed supporting UN-facilitated peace negotiations in Libya, the Middle East Peace Process, and counterterrorism cooperation in the Sinai.

Earlier, a report by Russia Today claimed that Egypt has concluded a deal to buy Russian Su-35s jets, however, Cairo and Moscow made no statements in this regard.

R. Clarke Cooper, the State Department’s assistant secretary in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, warned Egypt in Nov. 2019 that if it purchases Russian fighter jets it risks American sanctions.

Cooper said the planned purchase of Russian jets puts Egypt “at risk of sanctions and it puts them at risk of loss of future acquisition.”

For his part, the Director of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, Dr. Gamal Abdel Gawad said he believes the US administration will handle the military and human rights matters separately.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat following the call between Blinken and Shoukry, Abdel Gawad affirmed that Egypt's ties to the US are linked through contacts between the Egyptian foreign ministry and the State Department.

"But mainly, Cairo's more stable relations with Washington are based on military cooperation between the two states," he added.

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Kremlin Says It Still Supports Syria’s Assad and Will See What Help Is Needed

This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker running in a destroyed neighborhood after the Syrian government forces hit Idlib city, Syria, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)
This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker running in a destroyed neighborhood after the Syrian government forces hit Idlib city, Syria, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)
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Kremlin Says It Still Supports Syria’s Assad and Will See What Help Is Needed

This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker running in a destroyed neighborhood after the Syrian government forces hit Idlib city, Syria, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)
This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker running in a destroyed neighborhood after the Syrian government forces hit Idlib city, Syria, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia was continuing to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after his forces lost territory to opposition groups and would see what help was needed to stabilize the situation.

A statement from the Syrian Prime Minister's office on Monday said that Russian and Syrian aircraft were striking opposition-held positions in Aleppo's eastern countryside, killing and wounding dozens of fighters.

Russia, a staunch Assad ally, intervened militarily on his side against anti-government factions in 2015 in its biggest foray in the Middle East since the Soviet Union's collapse, and maintains an airbase and naval facility in Syria.

The Kremlin said on Friday it wanted the Syrian government to restore constitutional order as soon as possible and regarded the opposition attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.

Asked on Monday whether Russia planned to increase its support for Assad, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:

"We continue to support Bashar Al-Assad. Contacts are continuing at the appropriate levels.

"We are analyzing the situation and a position will be formed on what is needed to stabilize the situation."

Russian military bloggers said on Sunday that Moscow has dismissed Sergei Kisel, the general in charge of its forces in Syria, and replaced him with Colonel General Alexander Chaiko.

There was no official confirmation from the Russian Defense Ministry of such a change.

Assad has vowed to crush the opposition fighters - a coalition of Türkiye-backed mainstream secular armed groups along with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The opposition seized control of all of Idlib province in recent days, the boldest assault for years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.

They also swept into the city of Aleppo, east of Idlib, on Friday night, forcing the army to redeploy.