Syria, Egypt hold talks on restoring diplomatic relations: Reports
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Syrian and Egyptian officials discuss Syria’s possible return to the Arab League.
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In this photo released on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, left, meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP)
Damascus and Cairo are in advanced discussions to restore diplomatic ties and a top-level meeting is expected, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The newspaper reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al Sisi are set to meet in the future after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ends.
Syrian and Egyptian officials are expected to discuss Syria’s possible return to the Arab League over the weekend, according to the sources, adding that the Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in 2011.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Cairo on Saturday to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry. The two officials held a closed-door meeting and had talks with the countries' delegates, discussing a boost in bilateral communication channels.
Mekdad's visit to Cairo is the "first in more than 10 years" for a Syrian top diplomat and saw a closed-door meeting between the two ministers followed by discussions between the two countries' delegations, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
Several Arab countries rushed to Syria's aid after the February 6 earthquake that killed tens of thousands in the war-torn country and neighboring Turkey.
At the time, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad in unprecedented support since El-Sisi took office in 2014.
Shoukry then visited Damascus and met with Al-Assad on February 27 on the first trip of its kind in more than a decade.
Discussions on Saturday focused on "supporting the Syrian people to restore (the country's) unity and sovereignty over its whole territories," the Egyptian Ministry said in a statement.
Shoukry called for a "comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis," while reiterating Cairo's backing for the United Nations special envoy's efforts to resolve the conflict.
