Egypt and Syria Commit to Closer Ties as Foreign Minister Visits Cairo

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) meets with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad at the ministry headquarters in Cairo, on April 1, 2023. (AFP)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) meets with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad at the ministry headquarters in Cairo, on April 1, 2023. (AFP)
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Egypt and Syria Commit to Closer Ties as Foreign Minister Visits Cairo

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) meets with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad at the ministry headquarters in Cairo, on April 1, 2023. (AFP)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) meets with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad at the ministry headquarters in Cairo, on April 1, 2023. (AFP)

Egypt and Syria agreed to strengthen cooperation on Saturday during the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in more than a decade.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad was embraced by Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry as he arrived at Egypt's foreign ministry in the first official trip since before the uprising and conflict that began in Syria in 2011.

President Bashar al-Assad was shunned by many Western and Arab states due to the war in Syria, which splintered the country and left hundreds of thousands of people dead.

"The ministers agreed to intensify channels of communication between the two countries at different levels during the coming phase," a statement from Egypt's foreign ministry said.

Egypt also reiterated its backing for a "comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis as soon as possible".

An Egyptian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the visit was aimed at putting in place steps for Syria's return to the Arab League.

The Cairo-based Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 and many Arab states pulled their envoys out of Damascus.

Some countries, including the United States, have opposed the rehabilitation of ties with Assad, citing his government's brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress towards a political solution in Syria.

Assad last month visited the United Arab Emirates, signaling increasing openness towards Damascus.

Egypt's Shoukry visited Syria and Türkiye in February after the devastating earthquakes there, and on Saturday reiterated a pledge of support for its victims.

Egypt's foreign ministry published pictures of Shoukry warmly greeting Mekdad at the foreign ministry on the banks of the Nile, as well as in one-on-one talks and leading a wider discussion.



After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

A US sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the UN special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Wednesday.

After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightening offensive by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group a month ago.

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into war. But the new reality in Syria has been further complicated by sanctions on HTS - and some leaders - for its days as an al-Qaeda affiliate.

"I welcome the recent issuance of a new temporary General License by the United States government. But much more significant work in fully addressing sanctions and designations will inevitably be necessary," Pedersen told the council.

The US on Monday issued a sanctions exemption, known as a general license, for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance and allow some energy transactions.

"The United States welcomes positive messages from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but will ultimately look for progress in actions, not words," deputy US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Camille Shea told the Security Council.

The foreign ministry in Damascus on Wednesday welcomed the US move and called for a full lifting of restrictions to support Syria's recovery.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier on Wednesday that European Union sanctions on Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the sanctions imposed on Syria by Washington and others, adding: "As a result, the Syrian economy is under extreme pressure and is not able to cope with the challenges facing the country." Russia was an Assad ally throughout the war.

'END THE SUFFERING'

Formerly known as Nusra Front, HTS was al-Qaeda's official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Along with unilateral measures, the group has also been on the UN Security Council al-Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list for more than a decade, subjected to a global assets freeze and arms embargo.

There are no UN sanctions on Syria over the civil war.

Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak was appointed a year ago by Assad's government but told the council on Wednesday that he was speaking for the caretaker authorities.

"It is high time to end the suffering, to enable Syrians to live in security and prosperity, to live a dignified life in their country, to build a better future for their country," Aldahhak said.

"For this reason, we call upon the United Nations and its member states to immediately and fully lift the unilateral coercive measures to provide the necessary financing to meet humanitarian needs and recover basic services," he said.

Pedersen said he is seeking to work with the caretaker authorities in Syria "on how the nascent and important ideas and steps so far articulated and initiated could be developed towards a credible and inclusive political transition."

Pedersen said attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop, specifically calling out Israel.

As Assad's government crumbled towards the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them falling into the hands of enemies.

"Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying," Pedersen said. "Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition."