Syrian, Egyptian foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties on 1st visit to Cairo

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Sunday, on his first official visit to Egypt.

The SANA news agency said discussions between the two diplomats took up bilateral ties and ways of expanding cooperation as well as regional and international developments.

According to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, the talks dwelt on ways of strengthening bilateral relations and coordinating positions regarding current regional developments.

Abdelatty emphasized the depth of the historical, popular, and cultural relations between Egypt and Syria.

“This shared heritage embodies the convergence of the will of the two brotherly peoples throughout history,” he said.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and stressed full respect for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, stability, and territorial integrity.

“Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, Egypt’s position has been based on clear principles stemming from a sincere desire to support efforts aimed at restoring security and stability, and preserving Syria’s unity and the cohesion of its national fabric,” he said.

He called for the preservation of Syrian national institutions and rejection of any foreign interference in its internal affairs “for fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people to establish the foundations of comprehensive internal stability.”

The top minister also stressed Egypt’s “categorical rejection of Israel’s blatant violations of Syrian sovereignty.”

Egypt “rejects attempts by Israeli forces to exploit the current situation in Syria to occupy more territory and undermine its security and stability,” he said.

Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and expanded into the buffer zone after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in 2024.

Syrians say the continued Israeli violations are undermining efforts to restore stability and hindering government attempts to attract investment to improve the country’s economic conditions.