Egypt’s Foreign Minister To Make Breakthrough Visit To Syria

Syria flag (flickr).

Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry will pay a visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus, on February 27, the ministry announced.

The ministry’s spokesman, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, said that Shoukry will also visit Turkey on the same day to convey a message of solidarity to both countries following the February 6 earthquake, which claimed the lives of some 50,000 people.

Egypt has already provided aid to earthquake victims in both countries. In the last few days, two Egyptian ships delivered hundreds of tons of food, medical and shelter supplies to Lattakia port in Syria.

Shoukry’s visit to Damascus will be the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since conflict began in Syria more than a decade ago.

“Shukri will go tomorrow, Monday, to both Syria and Turkey, on a visit aimed at conveying a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries and their two brotherly peoples, following the catastrophe of the earthquake that left heavy losses,” Abu Zeid said. “It is expected that the Foreign Minister will affirm, in his meetings with both Syria and Turkey, Egypt’s permanent readiness to provide aid and assistance to the affected people in the affected areas of the two countries, and that the Egyptian government and people cannot be late for a day in supporting its brothers.”

Egypt was one of very few Arab countries that didn’t cut all ties with Damascus following the outbreak of the conflict in 2011.

The relations between the two countries saw a major breakthrough after the last earthquake, when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made his first phone call with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to offer his condolences.

On February 26, Hanafy Ali El-Gebali, Speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, arrived in Syria as a part of a large parliamentary delegation from several Arab states. During the visit, El-Gebali and several other members of the House of Representative met with Assad.

While the Egyptian Foreign Ministry presented Shoukry’s upcoming visit to Damascus as a humanitarian one, a report by the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV said that the minister will discuss security matters with the Syrian leadership.

Egypt and several other countries, like Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, have been making efforts to reintegrate Syria into the Arab world for the last few years in order to put an end to the conflict.

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