Syrian, Egyptian foreign ministers hold talks in Cairo on first official visit

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 took up bilateral ties, ways of expanding cooperation, and regional and international developments.

Egypt's position

Abdelatty emphasized the depth of historical, popular, and cultural relations between Egypt and Syria. He 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. He called for the preservation of Syrian national institutions and rejection of any foreign interference in its internal affairs.

Rejection of Israeli violations

The top minister 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.

Syrian concerns

Syrians say continued Israeli violations are undermining efforts to restore stability and hindering government attempts to attract investment to improve the country's economic conditions. The meeting marks a step in Syria's reintegration into the Arab diplomatic fold following the fall of the Assad regime.