Egyptian President Lauds Efforts of Armed Forces

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
TT

Egyptian President Lauds Efforts of Armed Forces

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi lauded the Armed Forces' efforts in carrying out their missions with all dedication.

He confirmed that the Egyptian people appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of "the heroes of the Armed Forces in defense of Egypt's security and safety."

Sisi performed Friday prayers in al-Mushir Tantawy Mosque in Cairo and then met with several Armed Forces commanders on the occasion of the 10th of Ramadan War victory.

Sisi was accompanied by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Minister of Defense Mohamed Zaki, Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Osama Askar, and ministers of justice, Awqaf, interior, local development, and state for military production.

Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel Aal, Egypt's Mufti Shawqi Allam, Armed Forces commanders, officers, and soldiers also attended the prayers.

After the Friday prayers, Sisi met with the Armed Forces' commanders, extending his greetings to them on the 10th of Ramadan War victory. The President held talks with the commanders, tackling all local, regional and international developments and their impact on the region.

Earlier, the Minister of Defense said during the Egyptian Armed Forces' celebration that the anniversary of the tenth of Ramadan is a victory that embodied the heroism and sacrifices of the armed forces in recovering the land of Sinai.

He said they restored Egypt's pride and dignity and the Arab nation's glory and pride, stressing it will remain a great day in the history of the Egyptian military.

The Minister reiterated that the armed forces will always remain a strong protector of Egypt that defends its national security and preserves its sanctities and the integrity of its lands.



Italy Says Suspending EU Sanctions on Syria Could Help Encourage Transition

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
TT

Italy Says Suspending EU Sanctions on Syria Could Help Encourage Transition

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)

Italy's foreign minister says a moratorium on European Union sanctions on Syria could help encourage the country's transition after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by opposition groups.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Syria on Friday and expressed Italy’s keen interest in helping Syria recover from civil war, rebuild its broken economy and help stabilize the region.

Tajani, who met with Syria’s new de facto leaders, including Ahmed al-Sharaa, said a stable Syria and Lebanon was of strategic and commercial importance to Europe.

He said the fall of Assad's government, as well as the Lebanon parliament's vote on Thursday to elect army commander Joseph Aoun as president, were signs of optimism for Middle East stability.

He said Italy wanted to play a leading role in Syria’s recovery and serve as a bridge between Damascus and the EU, particularly given Italy’s commercial and strategic interests in the Mediterranean.

“The Mediterranean can no longer just be a sea of death, a cemetery of migrants but a sea of commerce a sea of development,” he said.

Tajani later traveled to Lebanon and met with Aoun. Italy has long played a sizeable role in the UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon, UNIFIL.

On the eve of his visit, Tajani presided over a meeting in Rome with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and officials from Britain, France and Germany as well as the EU foreign policy chief. He said that meeting of the so-called Quintet on Syria was key to begin the discussion about a change to the EU sanctions.

“The sanctions were against the Assad regime. If the situation has changed, we have to change our choices,” Tajani said.